University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Tennessee, Knoxville

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Masters Theses Graduate School

8-2018

A Handbook for Graduate Students Teaching Aural Skills A Handbook for Graduate Students Teaching Aural Skills

David William Marvel University of Tennessee, dmarvel@vols.utk.edu

Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes

Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Marvel, David William, "A Handbook for Graduate Students Teaching Aural Skills. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2018. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/5170

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact trace@utk.edu.

To the Graduate Council:

I am submitting herewith a thesis written by David William Marvel entitled "A Handbook for

Graduate Students Teaching Aural Skills." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis

for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of Master of Music, with a major in Music.

Barbara A. Murphy, Major Professor

We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance:

Keith R. Brown, Brendan P. McConville

Accepted for the Council:

Dixie L. Thompson

Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School

(Original signatures are on file with official student records.)

A Handbook for Graduate Students Teaching Aural Skills

A Thesis Presented for the Master of Music

Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

David William Marvel August 2018

ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would first like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Barbara Murphy, and my other

committee members, Dr Brendan McConville, and Professor Keith Brown, of the School

of Music at the University of Tennessee. Their guidance and support throughout the

development and writing of this thesis made the process enjoyable and enriching.

I would also like to thank my fellow ear training Graduate Teaching Assistant, Harry

Ward, for the stimulating conversations about pedagogy and ear training that

challenged what I believe about teaching.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of my students; this thesis would not exist without them.

They enthusiastically allowed me to try new ideas on them and taught me so much

about music and how we learn.

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ABSTRACT

The purpose of this thesis was to prepare new graduate students to teach ear

training courses. Relevant pedagogical materials were reviewed to gauge what

resources are currently available to help new graduate students teach ear training and

what additional resources are needed for this task. A survey was created through

Qualtrics to investigate the selection, responsibilities, and training of the Graduate

Teaching Assistants who would teach ear training. The results of the survey indicated

that there is no consistency in how Graduate Teaching Assistants are prepared to teach

at different institutions and that, alarmingly, many receive absolutely no training

whatsoever. The review and survey informed the construction of a training handbook for

new Graduate Teaching Assistants teaching ear training. The handbook provides a

philosophical and pedagogical background on teaching and provides tools and activities

that Graduate Teaching Assistants can use in their ear training classes.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: Introduction……………………………………………………………………...1 CHAPTER 2: Literature Review……………………………………………………………….3

Books……………………………………………………………………………………..3 Journals and Web Resources …………………………………………………….....12

CHAPTER 3: Survey Results and Discussion……………………………………………...14 Survey………………………………………………………………………….....…….14 Results…………………………………………………………………………....….....14 Further Questions……………………………………………………………………...22 Conclusions………………………………………………………………………...…..23

CHAPTER 4: Graduate Teaching Assistant Handbook………………………....…...…...25 Preface …………………………………………………………………....…………….25 Part 1: Why ………………………………………....………………………....…..…...26 Part 2: How ………………………....………....………………………………..……...29 The Natural Learning Process……………………....…………………………….....29 The Positive Learning Environment…………………………………………....…....30 Fostering an Effective Learning Environment……………………………………....30 Fostering an Enjoyable Learning Environment…………………………....…….....32 Organization of Classroom Materials and Activities……………………....…….....33 Lesson Planning…………………………………………………………………….....33 Assigning Homework……………………………………………………………….....34 Providing Student Feedback……………………………………………….....……...35 Balancing Life as Teacher and Student…………………………………...………..36 Part 3: What…..…………………………………………………………...…………...36 The Language Learning Process……………………………………....……....…....36 Rhythm……………………………………………………………………....………….38 Tools ………………………………………………………………………....………....38 Learn to Make Sounds………………………………………....………....……….….39 Learn to Communicate with Sounds………………………………………....……...39 Learn Symbols that Represent Sounds………………………………………….….40 Learn to Transform Symbols into Sounds………………………………………......41 Learn to Transform Sounds into Symbols………………………………………......42 Pitch ………………………………………………………………………………….….44 Tools ………………………………………………………………………………….....44 Learn to Make Sounds…………………………………………………....……….….46 Learn to Communicate with Sounds………………………………………....……...48 Learn Symbols that Represent Sounds………………………………………….….49 Learn to Transform Symbols into Sounds……………………………....…………..50

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Learn to Transform Sounds into Symbols……………………....…..…...…....…...52 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………..….56

CHAPTER 5: Discussion……………………………..……………………………………….58 How to Use This Thesis………………………………………………....…………....58 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...59

BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………....…………………………………………….61 APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………....…………….64

APPENDIX A: Survey Recruitment Email………………..…....……...........………65 APPENDIX B: Survey Results………………………..………………………………66

VITA………………………………………....………………………………………………….92

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: number of graduate students in theory/composition…………………………….15 Table 2: number of graduate teaching assistants in theory/composition………………..15 Table 3: number of schools who only use theory/composition majors as

theory/composition GTAs…………………………………………………………..16 Table 4: financial assistance offered to theory/composition GTAs……………....………17 Table 5: information used in selection of theory/composition GTAs………………….….18 Table 6: number of classes taught by theory/composition GTAs……………….………..18 Table 7: theory/composition GTA teaching responsibilities………………....…...…..…...18 Table 8: courses taught by theory/composition GTAs………………………...…….…….19 Table 9: frequency of theory/composition GTA teaching observations……...….……….20 Table 10: training offered prior to start of school……………………………....…………..21 Table 11: pedagogy courses required of theory/composition GTAs…………………......22 Table 12: possible triads above a given bass pitch…………………………………….….56

1

CHAPTER 1: Introduction

Increasing enrollment in colleges has created the need for more instructors to

teach core classes. From 1976 to 2015, student enrollment in American universities and

colleges climbed by 62% (Brower). As student populations have swelled, institutions of

higher education have struggled to teach so many students. A common solution has

been to hire more graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) to teach undergraduate classes

required of large numbers of students (June). While GTAs get valuable professional

experience and financial assistance, the primary disadvantage of hiring GTAs is that

they often have no teaching background or experience. With 136,820 graduate teaching

assistants employed in the United States as of May 2017 (“Graduate Teaching

Assistants”), there are likely thousands of graduate students every year who find

themselves standing in front of a class for the first time. Graduate students in Schools of

Music are no exception to this trend.

The highest volume classes in Schools of Music tend to be those that are

required of all music students, regardless of major: theory, ear training, piano, and

music history. In a small survey conducted in 2011, Elizabeth West Marvin found that

some schools with GTAs are moving towards a lecture-lab design where faculty teach

large lectures and graduates students are responsible for running lab sessions (256).

While all schools are different, it is not uncommon to find graduate students assisting

with or teaching these core classes at colleges all across the United States.

Since many graduate students have no teaching background, the goal of this

thesis is to provide a handbook for new GTAs that will be teaching for the first time. The

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handbook is aimed at GTAs who will be teaching ear training classes in particular. In

Chapter 2, research into relevant literature on pedagogy will be provided to assess what

is already available to assist new ear training teachers. In Chapter 3, results of a survey

conducted by the author on the current status of the selection, preparation, and

responsibilities of GTAs in music theory departments will be presented. Chapter 4

contains the example handbook for new graduate teaching assistants. The literature

review and survey inform the content of this handbook. The conclusion to this thesis,

Chapter 5, includes some suggestions about how to use the information in this thesis

and handbook in the preparation of new GTAs who will teach ear training classes.

3

CHAPTER 2: Literature Review

The goal of this thesis is to provide a handbook for new GTAs that will be

teaching ear training for the first time. There is already a large body of writing aimed at

helping college teachers, including books, journals, and technology-based resources.

This chapter will provide a brief summary of these materials and will highlight what new

teachers can gain from these materials. This chapter divides the literature review into

discussions of books, journals and web resources. The discussion of books and

journals covers a range of teaching perspectives, progressing from general views on

teaching to those specifically about teaching ear training. The web resources section

includes descriptions of online journals for teachers and interactive websites for

students.

Books

Peter Filene’s The Joy of Teaching is an excellent handbook for first year

teachers; it focuses on general elements of teaching and is relatable to all disciplines. At

only 159 pages, this book can be read quickly and referenced easily throughout one’s

first year of teaching. New GTAs can glean information about the philosophy behind

teaching and general methods for teaching a college class from this book.

Filene divides his book into three parts: “Premises,” “Practices,” and

“Extracurriculars.” “Premises” covers a broad set of philosophical questions about the

kind of teacher the reader wants to be, how the teacher can build a pedagogical

relationship with students, and what the teacher wants their students to be able to

4

achieve in and after their courses. “Practices” provides a solid cognitive and

pedagogical foundation for designing classes, helping students learn, and evaluating

assessments and student success in classroom objectives. The final part,

“Extracurriculars,” deals with two issues that aspiring professors will have to confront to

survive a career in academia: how far they want to extend their professional relationship

with students beyond their office and how to balance teaching with research and

service.

While Filene’s book is a useful resource, it does not go into as much depth as

many other books on college teaching and includes a significant amount of information

not relevant to music theory GTAs. For instance, Filene’s discussion of syllabus

construction focuses on the pacing and ordering of topics and assignments in a course.

While this is useful information, most GTAs will not have the kind of autonomy with their

ear training courses for Filene’s approach to be applicable. There is no discussion,

however, about much boilerplate information that goes into a syllabus, including

attendance policies, office hours, statements on academic integrity, and other important

details that new GTAs need to understand.

Ken Bain’s What the Best College Teachers Do is a more comprehensive book

about teaching and, as such, can be a valuable resource for new GTAs. Bain defines

the “best” teaching as instruction that has a lasting, positive impact on students that

goes far beyond the classroom. He introduces several of the “best” teachers who he will

refer to throughout the book, using their stories to demonstrate what incredible teaching

can be like and the influence it can have on students. Through these examples, Bain

5

describes how the teacher knows learning is taking place, how teachers prepare for

their classes, what they expect of themselves and their students, how they conduct their

classes, how they treat their students, and how they evaluate their students and

themselves.

This book provides practical advice, words of wisdom, and philosophical

perspectives on teaching. Bain’s teaching examples come from a variety of disciplines

and the reader is encouraged to think about how the underlying principles of the

examples relate to their subjects so they can improve their own teaching for the sake of

their students. For instance, Bain uses a study investigating how much students learned

about motion in a physics class from the 1980s to demonstrate how learning takes

place in all disciplines (22). The same methods can be used in theory and ear training

classes. Although this text is inspiring and informative, it does not address many of the

basic behaviors involved in classroom teaching, such as getting a textbook into the

university bookstore, or how to approach the first day of class.

Wilbert McKeachie and Marilla Svinicki’s book, Teaching Tips, provides the

day-to-day details missing from both the Filene and the Bain books that are useful for

GTAs. Teaching Tips is divided into seven sections covering topics such as planning a

course, developing teaching methods, understanding students, teaching large classes

and labs, teaching aimed at higher-level goals, and sustaining a lifelong career as a

college professor. Like Filene and Bain, McKeachie and Svinicki discuss motivating and

engaging students. In addition, Teaching Tips also includes detailed information about

teaching a college class, such as assigning grades; meeting a class for the first time;

6

ordering a textbook through the bookstore; using readings, lectures, and discussions to

teach; and how to deal with trouble students.

While the Filene and Bain books are more focused on the philosophy and intent

behind good teaching, Teaching Tips provides more in-depth information that can be

helpful to new GTAs. For instance, Bain’s chapter on evaluating students includes very

little information on the actual process of assigning grades; instead, Bain highlights how

great teachers use evaluation and assessment as learning rather than performance

opportunities (152). McKeachie and Svinicki, on the other hand, have four detailed

chapters on planning and administering assessments, providing feedback, and the

specifics behind assigning grades, including involving students in planning the grading

process to reduce their anxiety about grades (132). Although the breadth and depth of

topics covered in Teaching Tips is astounding, most of the topics are addressed in

generic scenarios and not specific to the teaching of music. There are a few books that

can help with some of the challenges unique to teaching music.

Conway and Hodgman’s Teaching Music in Higher Education not only provides

teaching suggestions specifically for music instructors, it also considers National

Association of Schools of Music requirements and music education certification

requirements in each state. New GTAs can learn a lot about how music schools operate

and find tips for teaching musical content in this book since the authors approach the

material within the book through the lens of “learner-centered pedagogy” (xi). Quotes

from undergraduate students, graduate assistants, young teachers, and seasoned

professors reinforce the content throughout. Teaching Music in Higher Education also

7

touches on most of the clerical responsibilities typically required of college music

teaching. Bridging the gap between general pedagogy texts and topic-specific manuals

for teaching, Conway and Hodgman address the unique needs of music curricula and

instructors. However, the broad approach to teaching music used in this book does not

provide detailed examples of how to apply its methodologies to ear training classes

(with a few exceptions, e.g., syllabi).

Shinichi Suzuki has had a profound impact on music education; his method of

teaching is used all over the world and can be useful for new music theory GTAs. In

Nurtured by Love, Suzuki presents his “sound before sight” approach to learning music

and his philosophy of “nurturing” students to become the best versions of themselves.

Often, the freshman ear training student is still a child in terms of the development of

their musical ear; a good number of new music students have never learned a piece of

music without looking at notated music. Such students will be new to the process of

learning to hear and think in music, and some will require a lot more nurturing to

develop this skill than others. Suzuki’s teachings aim to not just teach students to play

an instrument, but to foster talent. He argues that developing talent is the best way to

become a better person (85). Suzuki’s teachings are directly applicable to the ear

training classroom: the process by which young children learn to play an instrument is

the same way we train to understand what we hear. While many of Suzuki’s ideas are

transferable to the ear training classroom, he makes no specific mention of the topic in

his writings. There are, however, a number of books that more directly address teaching

ear training.

8

Michael Rogers’ Teaching Approaches in Music Theory: An Overview of

Pedagogical Philosophies is an important text in the field of music theory pedagogy that

provides new GTAs with pertinent information for teaching ear training. Rogers divides

his book into three distinct sections which he compares to that of a sonata form in his

Preface. Part One, the “Exposition,” expounds the fundamentals of teaching music

theory, and establishes the purpose and need for music theory instruction. This section

also introduces four major dichotomies in philosophical approaches to music theory

teaching:

1. Whether written and aural skills should be taught as isolated courses or

coordinated/taught together.

2. Whether music theory should be taught as an independent course or

coordinated/taught with other music classes.

3. Whether music theory should be taught using a historical-stylistic organization or

through general principles that can be applied to a variety of musics.

4. Whether the focus of music theory teaching should be developing practical

musical skills or developing musical thinking skills.

Through Rogers’ text, new music theory GTAs can learn about the advantages of

using different musical tools to teach musical skills (e.g., fixed or movable Do, La or Do

based minor). Part Two, the “Development,” provides a broad overview of the various

approaches used to teach the concepts, ideas, and terminology related to hearing and

thinking about music intelligently. Contrasting teaching methods are provided for

teaching fundamentals, analysis, sight singing, transcription and many other topics,

9

allowing the reader to gain familiarity with different approaches to teaching and learning

music theory and challenging the ways they learned themselves. Part Three, the

“Recapitulation,” deals with methods for effectively communicating the content of parts

one and two through teaching strategies, student evaluation, and curriculum design.

While Rogers addresses most of the important topics in ear training, he does not

provide many useful activities for teaching these topics. For instance, Rogers provides

eight practical tips about teaching intervals (e.g., ascending melodic intervals are

easiest to learn, avoid overusing tunes to learn intervals, harmonic intervals can be

mentally broken up into a melodic interval), but Rogers offers no activities, beyond

drilling, that can be used to introduce or practice intervals (105). New GTAs need tools

and activities they can immediately take to the classroom to teach all of the valuable

information Rogers presents.

John White’s book, Guidelines for College Teaching of Music Theory, provides

more practical tools that can be used by GTAs to teach ear training than Rogers’ book.

White outlines four core music theory topics (analysis, composition, ear training, and

keyboard skills) and demonstrates how each topic should be taught over the course of

several semesters. White balances practical teaching advice with big-picture thinking

about the progression of learning in music theory courses. Although White has a lot of

useful information about ear training, his teaching strategies are suggestive; he doesn’t

provide many fully developed activities for GTAs to use. For example, White claims that

games can help students in the ear training classroom, but he doesn’t provide example

games beyond keeping track of who had the most correct answers in a drill exercise

10

(32). GTAs need more instructional examples that they can draw on to effectively

engage students in an ear training classroom.

The Norton Guide to Teaching Music Theory, edited by Rachel Lumsden and

Jeffrey Swinkin, is the newest, most wide-ranging text on the pedagogy of music theory

and offers practical information for new GTAs teaching ear training. The book includes

several chapters that focus specifically on ear training, such as incorporating movement

into aural skills, teaching post-tonal aural skills, and using the piano to engage students.

There are many chapters that are not specifically about aural skills that can still help

new GTAs. Chapters on expanding the repertoire and including popular, jazz, racial,

ethnic, and world music in the classroom could be very helpful to ear training

instructors. There are also chapters about using more contemporary approaches to

teaching music theory, including the use of videos and universal design for learning.

In all three of these texts about music theory pedagogy (i.e., the Norton, Rogers,

and White books), ear training has been considered a portion of one’s theory training,

not treated as an individual task. There are advantages to this comprehensive

approach, but new teachers and GTAs will need more specific information on how to

teach ear training than presented in these books.

Gary Karpinski’s Aural Skills Acquisition provides a detailed survey of the musical

skills involved in teaching and learning how to listen to, read, and perform music; new

GTAs will find a wealth of useful information about most topics encountered in ear

training in this book. Karpinski draws on experimental and qualitative research on

isolated musical behaviors to inform aural skills teaching. For most topics, Karpinski

11

describes the cognitive processes that make aural skills possible. For instance, in

describing melodic dictation, Karpinski begins by warning of the limitations of dictation

exercises and then describes his own model for music perception and cognition during

dictation. He breaks the process of melodic dictation into four stages: hearing,

short-term melodic memory, musical understanding, and notation (64). He describes the

goals of each stage and what kinds of activities may be necessary for each. In

describing short-term melodic memory, Karpinski describes two separate memory

encoding mechanisms for contour and specific pitches. Karpinski asserts that these two

mechanisms must work together to be able to accurately dictate melodies, and he offers

two strategies for extending the capacity of short-term musical memory: extractive

listening and chunking (71).

While all of the information in Aural Skills Acquisition is important for ear training

GTAs to know, Karpinski does not offer many suggestions for ways to teach the

concepts to an actual class. In his discussion of presenting melodic dictation to a class,

Karpinski talks about important information (how many listenings should be given, how

much information should be given before listening, etc..), however he does not talk

about how to introduce his model for dictation nor does he suggest any methods for

teaching students about extractive listening or chunking. GTAs need specific tools and

activities they can use to share all of this useful information with their classes.

12

Journals and Web Resources

While all of the books mentioned above offer valuable information for teachers of

all levels, none are exhaustive in their discussion of what to do in the classroom.

Additionally, some of these books are somewhat out of date, and, in a field where

technology is widely used, this time lag can cause some problems of relevancy.

Journals and other online resources can provide current, relevant literature on theory

and ear training pedagogy. There are three open-access, peer reviewed journals that

may be particularly useful for new GTAs: the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy

(JMTP) , Engaging Students: Essays in Music Pedagogy, and Music Theory Online

(MTO).

The JMTP publishes articles about all topics related to music theory pedagogy

including teaching strategies, reviews of textbooks, and teaching materials including

sample handouts and worksheets with answer keys, explanations, and sample syllabi.

Engaging Students: Essays in Music Pedagogy publishes short articles on

student-centered learning in college music classes. There are essays about teaching,

assessing, practicing, using technology, and an entire issue devoted specifically to

using jazz to engage students. Music Theory Online, the Journal of the Society for

Music Theory, primarily publishes analyses and, occasionally, articles on pedagogical

topics in the theory/ear training classroom. The sample analyses of contemporary and

popular music can be used as reading material for classes or as examples for use as

transcription and sight reading practice.

13

Many websites also contain exercises and tutorials that can be used by new

GTAs teaching in class or as supplementary homework. Three exceptionally useful free

websites are Musictheory.net, Teoria.com, and musictheoryexamples.com.

Musictheory.net contains explanations of music fundamentals and has a wide variety of

customizable exercises to practice hearing, writing, and identifying notes, key

signatures, intervals, scales, and chords. The site also includes several useful tools,

such as an online keyboard, metronome, and staff paper generator. Teoria.com is

similar to Musictheory.net in that it has tutorials and exercises for most fundamental

musical skills. However, Teoria also includes melodic and rhythmic dictation exercises,

sections on jazz topics, and information on more chromatic techniques and musical

forms. The Internet Music Theory Database (Musictheoryexamples.com), authored by

Timothy Cutler, is a website that is dedicated more to music theory teachers than

students. This site provides a database of musical excerpts sorted by content (e.g.

major scales, augmented 6th chords, modulations), making it easy to find examples

from the western canon for use as examples in class or for tests. The excerpts are

provided as PDFs and sound files, without commentary or analysis.

The books, journals, and websites available to help teachers are impressive;

however, no sources address teaching from the perspective of the new music theory

GTA. What do GTAs need to know how to do? How are GTAs taught how to teach

theory and ear training in particular? What resources are they given and what training is

provided? The next chapter presents the results of a survey conducted to help answer

these questions.

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CHAPTER 3: Survey Results and Discussion

This thesis is intended to help prepare GTAs to teach ear training. To determine

what kind of help is already provided to GTAs, a survey was sent out to gather

information about the responsibilities, selection, and preparation of GTAs in the music

theory discipline. These results are suggestive about the current state of GTA positions

at institutions of higher learning and indicate that the procedures for GTAs vary not only

from institution to institution, but even for individual assistantships within departments.

Survey

The survey was created in Qualtrics and, after IRB approval was obtained, was

sent out in the Spring of 2018 through the College Music Society email list to music

theorists. The email invitation that was sent out may be viewed in appendix A. The

instructions asked for only one response to come from each school; however, as no

identifying information was gathered about respondents, there can be no way to know

for sure that there are no duplications in these results. The complete survey and results

appear in appendix B.

Results

The minimal demographic information gathered through this survey about

theory/composition GTAs highlights the importance of this thesis. Of the 164 people

who opened the survey, 160 agreed to complete the survey. However, not all 160

participants answered each question. In fact, the number of responses to each question

15

varied from 64 to 78. Results are skewed toward schools with large theory departments

as shown by the number of GTAs. 51.28% of respondents indicated their institutions

had seven or more graduate students majoring in theory/composition (Table 1) and

42.11% of institutions have seven or more theory/composition GTA positions (Table 2).

These numbers reveal there are a minimum of 348 theory/composition GTAs amongst

the institutions represented in these results; considering the actual number of

theory/composition GTAs is likely higher, this is a significant population of people who

are tasked with teaching undergraduate music students skills vital for their musical

development. This large number of theory/composition GTAs reaffirms the need for

materials to help train these future teachers.

Table 1: Number of Graduate Students in Theory/Composition

Answer (Select one) Count (N=78) Percentage

1-2 14 17.95%

3-4 13 16.67%

5-6 11 14.10%

7+ 40 51.28%

Table 2: Number of Graduate Teaching Assistants in Theory/Composition

Answer (Select one) Count (N=76) Percentage

1-2 15 19.74%

3-4 18 23.68%

5-6 11 14.47%

7+ 32 42.11%

16

The results showed that not all schools used only theory/composition majors as

GTAs, further increasing the need to make sure there are materials to help these GTAs

who may not even be studying the material they are teaching. The numbers showed a

split between schools using exclusively theory/composition majors (48.7%) and those

hiring students in other majors as GTAs (51.3%). Schools with only one or two

theory/composition GTAs are far more likely to draw on students with other majors to fill

their theory/composition GTA positions; of the thirteen schools in this category, 84.6%

indicated they hired GTAs from all majors (Table 3).

Table 3: Number of Schools who only use Theory/Composition majors as

Theory/Composition GTAs

Answer (Select One)

Schools with 1-2 Theory/ Composition Majors (N=13)

Schools with 3-4 Theory/ Composition Majors (N=12)

Schools with 5-6 Theory/ Composition Majors (N=11)

Schools with 7+ Theory/ Composition Majors (N=40)

Yes 2 15.38% 7 58.33% 5 45.45% 23 57.50%

No 11 84.62% 5 41.67% 6 54.55% 17 42.50%

Theory/Composition GTA workloads and financial assistance vary significantly;

the amount of time GTAs have to prepare for their classes and the compensation they

receive will have an impact on their experiences in the classroom. 28.57% of schools

use contracts for quarter-time (10 hours) employment, 14.29% use third-time (~13

hours) employment contracts, and 24.68% use half-time (20 hours) employment

contracts. The largest number of respondents (32.47%) categorized their positions as

“Other,” indicating that they employ GTAs for different workloads ranging from eight

17

hours per week up to twenty hours per week. For their work, GTAs were most

commonly provided tuition waivers and stipends, but not fee waivers (Table 4). Six

respondents (7.79%) selected other types of financial assistance including some kind of

health insurance waiver or additional stipend.

Table 4: Financial Assistance Offered to Theory/Composition GTAs

Answer (Select all that apply) Count (N=77) Percentage

Tuition Waiver 60 77.92%

Fee Waiver 16 20.78%

Stipend 67 87.01%

Other 18 23.38%

To hire their GTAs, over half of all departments use some combination of

resumes (58.4%), letters of recommendation (50.65%), and interviews (71.3%) to select

their GTAs (Table 5). However, only 9.09% use teaching demonstrations, either in

person or via video, in their selection process. Since so few GTAs have to demonstrate

an ability to teach to earn a teaching position, it is important to make sure there are

resources available to help them teach.

The teaching loads and responsibilities of GTAs varies considerably from school

to school. The largest number of schools (43.84%) have their GTAs work with only one

course at a time while another 28.7% respondents indicate their GTAs taught two

classes per term (Table 6). It is interesting to note that 17.81% of respondents indicated

that their GTAs don’t actually teach any classes. Only 22.97% of institutions give their

GTAs complete teaching responsibility for their classes (Table 7); it is more common

18

Table 5: Information Used in Selection of Theory/Composition GTAs

Answer (Select all that apply) Count (N=77) Percentage

Resume 45 58.44%

Letters of Recommendation 39 50.65%

Interview 55 71.43%

Teaching Demo (Video) 2 2.60%

Teaching Demo (In Person) 5 6.49%

Other 23 29.87%

Table 6: Number of Classes Taught by Theory/Composition GTAs

Answer (Select one) Count (N=73) Percentage

0 13 17.81%

1 32 43.84%

2 21 28.77%

3 5 6.85%

4+ 2 2.74%

Table 7: Theory/Composition GTA Teaching Responsibilities

Answer (Select one) Count (N=74) Percentage

100% Teaching/Instructor of Record

17 22.97%

Grading Only 7 9.46%

Leading Discussion/Recitation Section

21 28.38%

Other 29 39.19%

19

(28.38%) for schools to use their GTAs to lead separate discussions sections, much like

the findings of Elizabeth West Marvin (256). Most respondents (39.19%), however,

indicate some “other”combination of teaching, grading, substituting for professors, and

providing extra help to students outside of class. Of the seventy-six responses to a

question about GTA responsibilities, 69.74% responded that their theory/composition

GTAs have more responsibilities than just teaching. The other responsibilities required

of GTAs frequently include grading, tutoring, supervising a tutoring center, and helping

out with running electronic or new music festivals/concerts.

The largest number of institutions (70.42%) use their GTAs to teach ear training,

reaffirming the need to provide these GTAs with materials to help them teach (Table 8).

Other teaching assignments were often determined by the student’s prior experience

and knowledge of “other” areas for 23.94% of respondents. Interestingly, some classes

were taught by GTAs only at schools that had seven or more GTAs; respondents from

these schools responded that their GTAs could teach music technology classes and

composition classes/lessons.

Table 8: Courses Taught by Theory/Composition GTAs

Answer (Select all that apply) Count (N=71) Percentage

Ear Training 50 70.42%

Music Theory Fundamentals 47 66.20%

Music Theory Core Curriculum 45 63.38%

Music Technology 16 22.54%

Composition Class/Lessons 16 22.54%

Other 17 23.94%

20

Most theory/composition GTAs don’t have to worry about writing their own syllabi

or tests/quizzes for their courses. Out of sixty-five responses, 66.15% of schools

indicated that GTAs receive a syllabus prepared by the department, 27.69% provide a

syllabus template that may be altered by the instructing GTA, and just 6.15% of

institutions allow GTAs to create their own syllabi from scratch. Again, out of sixty-five

responses, 55.38% of GTAs receive departmentally prepared quizzes and tests,

26.15% of schools provide templates that may be altered, and only 18.46% of

institutions allow GTAs to create their own quizzes and tests.

Theory/Composition GTAs are also guided by faculty through observations of

their classes. The survey showed that 57.81% of schools observe their

theory/composition GTAs once or twice a semester; however, 10.94% of

theory/composition GTAs are never observed (Table 9).

Table 9: Frequency of Theory/Composition GTA Teaching Observations

Answer (Select one) Count (N=64) Percentage

Never 7 10.94%

Once or Twice a Year 12 18.75%

Once or Twice a Semester 37 57.81%

Several Times a Semester 4 6.25%

Weekly 4 6.25%

Most institutions require their theory/composition GTAs to go through some kind

of training before school begins. The largest group of respondents (26.47%)

respondents indicated some “other” training procedures for GTAs (Table 10). This

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training included attending school-wide GTA sessions, working one on one with their

supervisor, and theory/composition department meetings to work with GTAs. Future

GTAs in theory/composition should be warned that 23.53% of institutions offer no

training prior to school and no schools are using the web to train their GTAs. Some

respondents indicated that GTAs do not teach until later semesters, allowing GTAs to

take pedagogy courses early in their coursework and/or work with faculty before they

actually have to teach.

Table 10: Training Offered Prior to Start of School

Answer (Select one) Count (N=68) Percentage

No Training 16 23.53%

Training Less Than Two Hours 14 20.59%

One Day Training 15 22.06%

Multiple Day Training 5 7.35%

Online Training 0 0.00%

Other 18 26.47%

Many theory/composition GTAs will receive additional training/mentoring during

their studies. Out of seventy-two respondents, only half (50%) indicated their institution

requires theory/composition GTAs to take at least one pedagogy class; it is startling that

half of institutions do not require their GTAs to take any pedagogy courses at all. Of the

thirty-six who require pedagogy classes, 70.59% are required to take general music

theory pedagogy course (Table 11). “Other” required pedagogy classes include a

non-music specific pedagogy course, and multiple pedagogy classes for written and

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aural skills. It is interesting to point out that even though more theory/composition GTAs

will teach ear training than theory, more are required to take written theory pedagogy

instead of aural skills pedagogy; there is room for more ear training specific training for

new GTAs.

Table 11: Pedagogy Courses Required of Theory/Composition GTAs

Answer (Select all that apply) Count (N=34) Percentage

Aural Skills Pedagogy 5 14.71%

Written Theory Pedagogy 7 20.59%

General Music Theory Pedagogy

24 70.59%

General Music Pedagogy 4 11.76%

Other 6 17.65%

Further Questions

While this survey and the data it represents are useful, it is not exhaustive. The

results bring up more questions, that should be asked in future surveys. More

demographic information about the respondents would help to identify trends in how

GTAs are selected, prepared, and what responsibilities they are given. Questions could

include:

● Whether the school is public or private

● The number of music students in the various degree programs offered (i.e.,

undergraduate, masters, or doctoral students, etc.)

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● The type of school (e.g., research institutions, teaching colleges, technical

schools, or conservatories)

● The number of theory and composition faculty

Since the survey was sent to faculty, it would also be interesting to send a survey

to the GTAs themselves to get their perspective. Answers to these questions could

provide insight into the preparation need to prepare new GTAs. Such a survey might

ask questions such as:

● How many GTAs are coming straight from undergraduate school to graduate

school?

● What kind of teaching preparation did they receive before entering graduate

school?

● Do they have teaching experience at any level (e.g., student teaching, K-5, 6-8,

9-12, college level teaching, college level tutoring)?

● How many are pursuing a master’s degree or doctoral degree?

● How do they perceive their training, mentoring, and guidance during their

assistantship?

Conclusions

GTAs in theory/composition play a very important role in teaching undergraduate

music majors; however, very little attention is given to how students teach when they

are selected, and training procedures vary drastically from school to school, with an

alarming 23.53% offering no training whatsoever. Given that no schools represented in

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this survey are using the internet to help with preparing their GTAs, there is an

opportunity for the development of new resources to help with this task that could

significantly increase GTA preparation without the need for additional meetings. The

next chapter contains a handbook that can be used by institutions to help prepare their

GTAs to teach ear training.

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CHAPTER 4: Graduate Teaching Assistant Handbook

The following is an example handbook that could be used to help train

newly-appointed GTAs. It contains philosophical and pedagogical information on

teaching as well as specific tools and activities that can be used in class. A brief

discussion of how institutions could incorporate this handbook into their training

procedures appears in chapter 5.

Preface

Congratulations! You have earned a bachelor’s degree and you are now

embarking on a new journey as a teaching assistant in graduate school. Although you

worked hard to get yourself here, chances are you’ve had at least one teacher in your

college career who has helped you a great deal on your path towards success. Think of

the ways this teacher pushed you, challenged your thinking, and encouraged you.

Spend a lot of time considering their impact, and that of other great teachers in your life;

they will serve as your best examples as you develop your skills in the classroom.

The purpose of this handbook is to prepare you to teach undergraduate ear

training. This guide is divided into three parts: Why, How, and What. Part 1, Why,

answers the question of why teaching and ear training are important. Part 2, How,

describes how learning takes place, how to create an environment that fosters learning,

how to organize class materials, and how to balance teaching with your graduate

studies. Part 3, What, provides tools for teaching ear training such as background

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information on hand signs, solfege and rhythm syllables, and activities on various topics

to use in class and for homework.

Teaching requires commitment, preparation, practice, and the willingness to

change and improve. Like any skill, your teaching will develop and change over time,

and the habits you develop at the beginning of your career will be the foundation for

your future teaching. You will find that the rewards of teaching make it well worth your

effort and commitment. Ask any veteran teacher you know why they teach, and they will

most likely tell you about the difference their students have made in their life. One of the

most rewarding elements of teaching is observing your students’ progress and growth. It

is a thrilling experience to hear a student sight-sing a melody accurately and explain

how chromatic pitches are functioning musically who was not able to match a pitch

three months earlier. You will find excitement in your students’ successes and you will

feel proud watching them do great things on their own. You will have good and bad

teaching days, but as long as you prepare and do what you believe is best for your

students, you will continue to improve.

Part 1: Why

Learning is the most important undertaking of our lives. The human capacity for

learning is what has propelled our species and society ahead of all other life forms on

this planet. Learning begins the moment we are born; our first teachers are our parents.

We learn how to talk and walk and act by observing and imitating our parents. Like

animals, our first educational experiences include the basic skills necessary to find food

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and shelter; those that learn the most effectively are the ones that survive. Humans,

however, have sought to learn much more than the basics; for example, we learned

how to create fire, then how to use it to protect ourselves, to cook our food, and how to

power our machines. We learned from those who came before us and added to their

discoveries. Teachers, whether family members or professionals, pass along what has

already been discovered and train us so to become lifelong learners

As a society, we have increasingly set aside more and more time for our children

to focus on learning before they become independent adults. We entrust professional

teachers to impart the knowledge and skills necessary for our children (and society as a

whole) to continue to evolve. Teaching used to be the passing along of facts, skills,

traditions, philosophies, concepts, etc.. Digital technology has helped with these tasks

and transformed the role of teachers; we now rely on professionals to teach deeper

critical thinking skills, self-education techniques, and how to critically sort through the

wealth of information available to us thanks to the internet. As teachers, we need to find

ways to more efficiently, yet effectively, communicate what we know with younger

generations so they can carry on the process of discovery.

Research has shown that when a student believes something is important and

finds it interesting, they will be much more likely to commit the time needed to actually

figure it out (Bain 40). Students who do not see the relevancy of the material will be the

ones that ask “Why do I need to learn this?;” an inevitable question for nearly every

teacher. It is a question that all teachers dread, but one of the most important questions

that teachers need to answer for themselves and their students; if students see the

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value and applicability in what they are learning, the teaching process will become much

easier.

To answer the question of why, for yourself and for your students, think about the

benefits of studying music theory and ear training in your own musical development.

You may have valued the practicality of being able to play by ear. You might have fallen

in love with the process of analyzing a piece of music and using that analysis to

enhance your performances. You might have realized the more informed you are about

a piece, the better you are able to conduct and rehearse it. Every student will have a

unique need for the concepts they will learn in ear training. As the teacher, it is your

responsibility to help your students understand their unique needs for aural skills and

how they interact with performing, conducting, teaching, or whatever else they may end

up doing. To this end, offer practical examples of how your students might use aural

skills in their future vocations. Future band directors will need a different set of skills

than those who want to work in a recording studio, but they will both benefit from seeing

how ear training will help them achieve their goals. When a student asks why, be

prepared to help them understand. If you keep the question of why in your mind while

you are planning your class, your students are more likely to see for themselves and

take their learning into their own hands.

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Part 2: How

One of my professors from undergraduate study always used to say to me, “I

can’t teach you anything; you have to figure it out for yourself.” At first, this statement

made me frustrated. I thought he was holding out, keeping intellectual secrets from me.

Little did I know how true those words are about how we learn. We can’t teach babies

how to walk; we explain to them how to walk, they observe others walking, and they

develop their own desire to be able to walk. The iterative process includes their

observations of what works and, more importantly, what doesn't work. Once they’ve

learned the basics of walking, they can experiment with other things such as running,

jumping, swimming, and biking. All learning, from walking to analyzing music and sight

reading scores, takes place in this same manner. Good teaching allows students to

experience this natural process of discovery for themselves.

The Natural Learning Process

The natural learning process has already been adopted by some music

educators in the following format: observe, form a mental image, imitate, trial-and-error

practice, and motivation (Criss 43). Observation is where the whole process starts; we

learn by taking in sensory information: a car looks like this, a dog smells like that, this

key on the piano sounds like this, this note looks like this on paper, etc. Forming a

mental image involves connecting observations to other related ones to begin finding

new ways to apply the information or skills we have observed, this is most easily

accomplished through story mechanisms such as analogies, metaphors, or similes. A

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very basic example of this is when young musicians learn to connect major triads with

happy and minor triads with sad; as we take in more and more sensory information, we

can make more complex and accurate connections. Imitation is where we attempt to

reproduce our mental images. Trial-and-error practice is the continuation of the imitation

stage where repeated attempts are made to refine the imitative attempt. Without this

practice, we cannot experience an imitation of our mental images, which will prevent us

from gaining more accurate mental images to rely on in the future. Motivation is what

keeps us working through this process and causes us to seek out new models to

observe. As teachers, we should organize our classes in a manner that supports this

natural learning process. There are a lot of different ways to achieve this, and no one

method will work for all students, but any effective method will involve creating and

nurturing, a positive learning environment.

The Positive Learning Environment

A positive learning environment is one which is both effective and enjoyable. The

learning environment is primarily established by the teacher, and how they interact with

their students.

Fostering an Effective Learning Environment

An effective learning environment directs students towards a pre-imagined end

goal and allows them to experience the natural learning process on their own. Many

musicians and teachers believe it is the goal of ear training to develop a “seeing ear”

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and a “hearing eye” (Karpinski 3). If this is the end goal, then work backwards to

determine how to achieve the goal: what does it mean to have a “seeing ear” and a

“hearing eye?” How can you demonstrate that you have accomplished these goals?

What skills do you need to develop to accomplish these goals? How do you as the

teacher help the students develop these skills?

An effective aural skills class directs students towards the goal of having a

“seeing ear” and a “hearing eye.” At the highest level, a “seeing ear” and a “hearing eye”

are tools that allow musicians to think about and in sound, and, when combined, allow

musicians to communicate through sound. “Seeing ears” allow musicians to identify and

transcribe what they are hearing, and “hearing eyes” allow them to hear sound in their

mind as they read notation. The ways these tools will be used by different musicians will

vary considerably; however, musicians are asked to do certain tasks using these tools

quite frequently, such as sight reading, transposing, composing, arranging, etc. The

most effective ear training activities will help students develop multiple skills

simultaneously. An activity that incorporates sight-singing, improvisation, transcription,

and analysis is much more beneficial than isolated interval practice.

The most effective way to direct students’ attention and thinking towards a

pre-conceived end goal is through asking them questions, much like the Socratic

method. A talented teacher can ask the right questions to lead students to discover

answers on their own. Such teaching requires getting into the mind of the student to

figure out why they aren’t understanding the concept being discussed. Some mistakes

are simple to fix; for instance, musicians will sometimes read music in the clef of their

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primary instrument instead of what is notated, and it is easy to lead them to the solution

by asking “what clef is this in?” Some mistakes are more complicated and require a

series of questions to lead students to correct answers. Understanding the problem a

student is having and developing an effective line of questioning to fix the mistake in

their thinking takes practice and requires meeting students at their current level of

understanding. Try not to give answers; if a student asks a question, ask them

questions in response.

Finally, in order to be effective , material must be presented in a logical cognitive

sequence that moves from simple to complex (Filene 42). Complex ideas are often built

off of simple ones; without a solid understanding of the simple ideas, the complex ones

will not be able to develop in a student’s mind. Michael Rogers points out that students

who have a strong understanding of fundamentals always succeed in music theory, but

that the students who struggle in music theory are always weak in fundamentals (36).

Fostering an Enjoyable Learning Environment

An enjoyable learning environment is one in which students believe they can

achieve success and they do not fear making mistakes during the natural learning

process. There are many ways to foster an enjoyable learning environment in an ear

training class. The teacher must communicate with the students in a way that does not

belittle or embarrass students. Always speak with kind words to your students; talk to

students in a way that will convince them they are capable of learning what they are

working on. The teacher’s reaction when students make mistakes will determine

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whether or not students will fear mistakes in their class; always welcome mistakes and

show how they are opportunities to learn. When we encounter a difficult students, it is

hard-wired in us to immediately place all of the blame on them; if students won’t stay

focused, don’t participate in class, won’t do their homework, or are confrontational in

class, it is often because of our own actions as a teacher. McKeachie and Svinicki

recommend introspective reflection to perceive what about our own actions in the class

may be inviting problematic behaviors before attempting to compassionately resolve

those behaviors with students (171).

Organization of Classroom Materials and Activities

Good teaching requires preparation and planning, which begins long before

stepping foot in the classroom. Teachers need to plan activities, gather needed

materials, familiarize themselves with classroom technology, prepare exercises,

handouts and homeworks to complement classroom activities, and provide feedback to

students, among other things.

Lesson Planning

One way to prepare is to create a lesson plan for each class. Try to plan out a list

of activities that progress through the natural learning process. Start off class by

demonstrating skills and processes you would like your students to figure out for

themselves. Provide opportunities for them to imitate, refine, and connect the dots with

other concepts. Work in ways to get students excited throughout the entire process.

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There are many different ways to write and keep track of lesson plans; a Google

Doc, a journal, or notecards can all make it easy to keep track of what is happening

each day in class. However you keep track of what you do, it is most important that you

have a plan before each class, spend some time after class evaluating how well your

plan worked, and then adapt your plan for the future as necessary. I plan each class on

a notecard and after every class I take notes on the back of the card about how far we

actually got in the class, then I pull out a new note card and plan my next class. Just

find a system that works for you.

Assigning Homework

Homework is “an important extension of in-school opportunities to learn” (Good

and Brophy 393). Coordinate homework with your in-class activities to make sure your

assignments are actually an extension of your class, and not merely busy work. Tell

your students how often you will be assigning homework and how they will hear about it.

Let your students know how their assignments will be graded and how they will submit

them. Daily homework ensures students are engaging with the class material more

frequently, but can quickly become a burden to grade; weekly assignments take less

time to grade, but might allow some students to forget about a class entirely for several

days. Online submissions for homework and assignments make it impossible to lose

papers, but can make it more complicated to leave feedback. If you use a system for

online submission of assignments, make sure to instruct students on how to use it.

Inform students how long it will take you to grade the assignment and how they will

35

receive grades and feedback. Over time, you will find what works best for you and your

students.

Providing Student Feedback

Students want and need feedback on how they are doing as quickly as possible.

Maxwell Maltz relates the servo-mechanisms that direct us towards pre-conceived goals

(e.g. a “hearing eye” and a “seeing ear”) to the self-guided torpedo; it is the feedback

that keeps the torpedo moving in the correct direction (19). One of the most regular

methods used by teachers to provide feedback to students is through grades and

comments on assignments. Grading takes up a significant portion of a teacher’s time,

so do not get behind. Keep track of grades in a way that makes sense to you. There are

many online grading systems, your school may require you to use a particular system,

such as the one in their Learning Management System (LMS). If there is no prescribed

system, then choose one that works for you and is convenient for your students. A

grading system in which the students can see their grades and progress is helpful to

you and the students; such a system will allow the students to know what their grades

are at any time and save you from having to answer many questions about where

students stand in the course. Communicating with students about their progress in your

class will prevent most problems when it comes time to submit grades, but, likely not all

problems. There are always some students who may still put up a fight and contest their

grade; if you grade all assignments the same and calculate your final grade according to

your syllabus guidelines, you protect yourself from significant problems.

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Balancing Life as Teacher and Student

Graduate school is busy, you will be a full time student, possibly working on a

dissertation or thesis, in addition to working as a teacher. You will have to figure out

how to balance your responsibilities as a student with your responsibilities as a teacher.

Keep a calendar of due dates for the classes you take, and the ones you teach. If

possible, try to anticipate when your busier weeks will be and spread your workload out.

Plan out time for grading and lesson planning in addition to studying and writing for your

own classes. Learn to manage your time wisely. Although teaching is incredibly

important, you should not let your own studies suffer.

Part 3: What

Developing “hearing eyes” and “seeing ears” involves learning about sounds,

symbols, and how they are related. Rhythm and pitch tend to be the most prominent

features of music studied in aural skills courses; however, other elements of music

(timbre, form, texture, dynamics, etc.) should not be neglected. Fortunately, through

language, we already have a model for how to learn sounds, symbols, and how they

relate.

The Language Learning Process

Language is an innate faculty of the human mind that is qualitatively identical

amongst all people (Pinker 18). The way we learn language was never consciously

devised, it is an instinctual process that has evolved to facilitate communication. This

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means we don’t need to devise new methods for learning language, all we need to do is

exploit the instinctual process within us:

1. Learn to make sounds

2. Learn how to communicate with those sounds

3. Learn symbols that represent those sounds

4. Learn how to transform those symbols into sounds

5. Learn how to transform sounds into symbols

This process is directly applicable to learning the ‘language’ of music; each step

has a parallel in the music world. While the sounds we learn for the sake of language

are based primarily on syllabic combinations of consonants and vowels, the sounds we

learn for music are based primarily on metered combinations of pitches and rhythms.

Musical communication with these sounds requires listening and responding

extemporaneously; this is what musicians call improvisation. Once we can carry on a

basic ‘conversation,’ we can begin to associate symbols with the sounds we already

know. Turning symbols into sound is described by the same action in both language

and music: reading. The final step in the language process, turning sounds into

symbols, is known to musicians as transcribing.

Tools such as rhythm syllables, solfege, and hand signs can be help students

discover the relationships between sound and symbol. In the following sections for

rhythm and pitch, you can find information about these tools and how you can use the

natural learning process to implement them in your class in conjunction with each step

of the language learning process.

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Rhythm

Rhythm is the most fundamental element of music, no sounds can exist devoid of

time; therefore, it is best to focus on rhythm first in teaching ear training. Whether you

are working on simple or compound time, to progress from simple to complex, start with

rhythms that use whole beats, then slowly incorporate rhythms longer than a beat and

the first level of subdivision. Next, use second level subdivisions (e.g., sixteenth notes)

before mixing in dots and syncopations. Introduce mixed or asymmetrical meters much

later.

Tools

Any effective approach to teaching rhythm will involve using an organized system

of syllables to represent common rhythmic patterns (Palkki). There are numerous

systems, such as the Gordon method, the Kodaly method, and Takadimi, for teaching

and learning rhythm. Use whatever rhythmic syllable system is used at your university.

If there is no one system in use, you will have to decide for yourself which system you

prefer and why.

The Takadimi system, developed by Richard Hoffman, William Pelto, and John

White, is one of the most useful tools for learning and teaching rhythm in colleges.

Takadimi was created specifically to address the rhythmic needs of college student; the

system is easily learned and applied to many musical styles. Takadimi emphasizes

relationships to the beat, common musical patterns, and is very practical for learning

how to consistently and accurately perform complex polyrhythms (Hoffman 28).

39

While the actual system used for teaching rhythm is important, it is less important

than how that system is used. The system should be used to help students engage in

the natural learning process through the stages of the language learning process.

Learn to Make Sounds

One possible activity that can be used to introduce new rhythmic material at any

level could start with having students stand in a circle and move in time with a beat.

Speak rhythmic patterns using your syllable system and have the class repeat them

back to you. As they are repeating you, listen for what rhythms they are struggling with

and use them more frequently until they are no longer struggling. Throughout this

activity, take pauses from repetition to ask questions about the sounds you are

demonstrating (Am I dividing the beat into 2’s or 3’s? Did I always include the downbeat

in my rhythms? What do the rhythms TaKa, TaDi, and TaMi have in common? How are

they different? Etc.). This simple activity allows your class to observe you, form a mental

image of how rhythmic patterns relate to the beat, imitate you, and refine their skills

through trial-and-error.

Learn to Communicate with Sounds

Once your class has developed a basic vocabulary of rhythmic patterns, you can

introduce games that require your students to improvise. One game you can play and

vary starts from the echoing circle; the goal of the game is to get around the circle

without any mistakes or hesitation. Pick a student to start with, a direction to go around

40

the circle, and how many beats you want them to improvise. If someone makes a

mistake or hesitates, stop the game start over again. To get a class to improvise, it is

helpful to start with a lot of restrictions; for instance, you could limit the rhythms they can

improvise with to four or five rhythmic patterns your students already know. You could

develop this game further by having students repeat patterns and then improvise a

response. For instance, asking them to repeat the last two beats of the person before

them and improvise two additional beats might play out like this:

Student 1: TaKaDiMi TaDi TaKaDiMi Ta

Student 2: TaKaDiMi Ta TaDiMi TaKaDi

Student 3: TaDiMi TaKaDi TaKaMi TaKaDi

Student 4: TaKaDiMi…..

Teacher: Oooops! What syllables did Student 3 end on?

Whole Class: TaKaMi TaKaDi

Teacher: Right! Let’s start with Student 7 this time….

Learn Symbols that Represent Sounds

When your students have picked up on the rhythms you’ve introduced in the

previous stages, they are ready to begin learning the symbols. One way you could

introduce the symbols is to ask your class to recall the patterns you have been using

and notate the syllables (not musical notation) on the board. The actual musical notation

could be incorporated immediately after discussing the syllables, or much later in the

process. When you introduce the musical notation, write them on the board above the

41

syllables they correspond with. If you had been working on simple time, you might end

up with something similar to Figure 1. To add variety in this stage, you could ask

students to do all of the writing on the board, or ask them to consider the multiple

possible symbols for each sound (What does ‘TaDi’ look like in 4/4? 3/4? 2/8? 100/2?

What would this rhythm look like if we used dots instead of slurs? What if we used rests

instead of dots? Etc.).

Figure 1. Common Rhythmic Units in Simple Time

Learn to Transform Symbols into Sounds

As soon as you have introduced the symbols (either the syllables or notation),

you can immediately begin to practice translating them into sounds (reading). An easy

way to do this could be to start with what you already have on the board from the

previous step; ask the class to keep a pulse and perform the rhythmic patterns as you

point to them on the board. You could leave both the syllables and notation on the

42

board during this activity, or erase one set. You could even have students come to the

board and lead this activity.

For a different reading activity, ask your students to write two or four beats on a

sheet of paper, then line them up into two teams so that each team can perform the

other team’s complete rhythm in tempo. Just like the reading activity above, this one

could use rhythm syllables, actual notation, or both.

By this point, you could begin to bring in examples from real music to practice

with. You could use non-pitched examples (certain percussion instruments for instance),

or just ignore the pitch for a melodic excerpt. Ask questions about each example before

performing to model good methods for sight reading practice (What time signature are

we in? What gets the beat? Are there any rhythm patterns you haven’t seen before? Do

you see any spots that look complicated? How can we figure out how to to perform this

challenging part? Etc.). You could have students verbally indicate the syllables for the

example or you might have them write the syllables above or below the notation before

performing it.

Learn to Transform Sounds into Symbols

To be able to transcribe a rhythm, a student must be able to identify what they

are hearing and know which symbols are needed to convey it. You might postpone the

actual dictation until your students can reasonably identify rhythms. An activity you

could use to practice identifying rhythms is very similar to the echo circle; instead of

43

saying the syllables, clap the rhythm and have your class respond with the proper

syllables to prove they know what they are hearing.

Another activity you could use to focus on the identification of rhythms without

the actual notation is very similar to the improvisation circle game. Instead of having

students improvise with syllables, make them clap their improvisations. The next

student in the circle must repeat what the person before them clapped, using syllables,

and then clap their own improvisation.

Once your students can successfully identify the rhythms you have been

focusing on, they can begin to notate what they are hearing. An activity you could use to

introduce the process of notation begins from the identifying games above; after your

class has identified a rhythm you have performed, ask them basic analytical questions

about the rhythm to prepare them to notate it (Did this rhythm use simple time,

compound time, or both? How many beats does it sound like are grouped together?

What time signature could this rhythm use? Etc.). You could have them work in groups

or as individuals to notate the rhythm on the board, paper, or some notation software.

Finally, ask questions to lead your students to a process to check their own answers for

mistakes (Do all of your measures have the correct number of beats? Did you include

bar lines? How can you check if the rhythm you have is correct? Did you beam all

subdivisions correctly? Etc.).

Once they are familiar with the notation process, additional practice can easily be

done outside of class as homework. You could record yourself clapping rhythms or use

examples from real music for them to transcribe. Another alternative could be to

44

incorporate software or applications that provide examples for practice and give

immediate feedback.

Activities can also be used that build through several successive steps of the

process. For an activity that culminates in transcription, you could break the class into

groups and ask each group to assign rhythmic syllables for the metric pattern of a poem

you have given them. Have groups perform their poems for the class and have the

groups transcribe each others’ poems.

Pitch

Pitch is one of the most developed and essential elements of western music;

therefore, the progression from simple to complex in pitch involves many more topics

than any other element of music. To start simple in pitch space, begin with one pitch at

a time, use the Major scale, use only stepwise motion, and use only consonances when

introducing simultaneous pitches. To build complexity in pitch space, use other modes,

use more dissonances, incorporate more frequent and larger leaps, change the melodic

direction more frequently, use chromatic pitches, and include more pitches

simultaneously.

Tools

What Takadimi syllables do for rhythm, solfege syllables do for pitch. There are

many different singing systems (e.g., solfege, numbers, fixed do) and many different

versions of these systems (e.g., moveable do, fixed do, la based minor, etc.). You

45

should use whatever system is used by your school and learn how to use it the same

way as your system of rhythm syllables - to present sound before symbol. The

exercises below will use the movable do, do-based minor system of solfege, which is

the author’s preferred system.

Incorporating the Curwen hand signs, as shown in Figure 2, may help students to

learn solfege syllables more easily. The hand signs can be learned concurrently with

solfege syllables, and when done so, the two reinforce each other. Using hand signs

makes it easy to coax sounds out of a class and can be very useful for communicating

pitch information quickly without notation or the need for words. In addition to their

practicality as a teaching tool, the hand signs draw in more sensory information,

Figure 2. Curwen Hand Signs (“Curwen”)

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allowing students to better remember pitches with the additional information of “what

they feel like.”

One of the most effective tools for learning music, including pitch, is the piano;

fortunately, you and your students do not need to be piano majors to benefit from a little

bit of keyboard work. For ear training, you will need the skills to “illustrate, highlight,

experiment, explain in sound, accompany, interact, and teach with the piano - in other

words, to do the things recorded performances cannot do” (Lumsden and Swinkin 162).

Notice that none of these tasks use the piano as a performative instrument. Students

can also benefit greatly from careful piano practice that reinforces what they are

currently learning.

Learn to Make Sounds

An activity you could use to introduce pitch at any level is basic echoing. You

could sing pitches using solfege syllables and hand signs and ask your students to

repeat them after you. As they are repeating you, listen and look for what they are

struggling with and emphasize them until they are no longer struggling. Throughout this

activity, take pauses from repetition to ask questions about the sounds you are

demonstrating (Which pitch of the major scale sounds the most stable to you? Does

“Fa” sound as consonant as “Do” when played against the tonic triad? What is the

interval from “Le” to “Re?” Where does it sound like “Fi” wants to resolve? Etc.).

After your students have a basic comprehension of scale degrees and the hand

signs, you could silently make hand signs and ask your class to match the hand signs

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and sing the pitches. Leading with hand signs can be a great way to introduce harmony;

break your class into three groups and have them all start singing “Do.” Lead one group

up the major scale to “Sol,” and another group up the scale to “Mi.” From there, you

could move from group to group and slowly change harmonies. Take breaks from

singing to reinforce these harmonic sounds on the piano, and ask questions to get your

students thinking about chord qualities, harmonic function, and inversions (What are the

intervals between “Do Mi Sol?” Are there any other triads that share this same pattern of

intervals? What are the intervals between “La Do Mi?” How does that sound different

from “Do Mi Sol?” We just ended on “Sol Ti Re,” did that sound like a conclusive

ending? Etc.)

After your class knows the basics about triads, there are many activities you

could use to have your class practice producing harmony. To prepare them for a game

that can help them experience harmonic function and principles of good voice leading

ask your class to create a short, simple chord progression using Roman Numerals on

the board and then have them identify the solfege syllables below each chord. The goal

of the game is to sing through the progression using as little motion as possible. Work

as a class to trace out the paths of least motion; you could use solid lines to indicate

common tones and arrows for steps, or use different colored markers to trace each line.

You might end up with something similar to Figure 3. Finally, break the class into groups

and have each group start on a different pitch of the first chord and sing through the

progression. You could even repeat the progression with groups starting on different

pitches until everyone has had a chance to sing every line.

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Figure 3. Horizontal Motion in a Simple Progression

This particular harmonic activity could be developed in many ways to add more

complexity. As your class gets familiar with the process, skip tracing the lines or spelling

out each chord to force students to figure it out for themselves. You could change or

add certain pitches in the progression to introduce new harmonies; for instance, after

your class has sung through the progression shown in Figure 3, you could add a “Fi” (if

they have already learned what “Fi” sounds like) in between the ii and V. Ask them to

sing it again and ask questions that ultimately lead them to an understanding of

secondary dominants (How does “Fi” change the quality of the ii chord? “Fi” functions

like what other scale degree? If we made “Sol” the new “Do,” what would “Re Fi La”

become? Etc.).

Learn to Communicate with Sounds

As your students start to be able to accurately produce the pitch content you are

working on, you can introduce games that use improvisation. To incorporate simple

pitch improvisation activities, you could start by having students pair off. Give them a set

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of guidelines to keep them from being overwhelmed by all of the choices. For an early

freshman activity, you might make the guidelines:

1. You will improvise 3-5 pitches at a time using solfege

2. Your improvisation may only use stepwise motion and notes from the major scale

3. Your improvisation must begin on the same pitch your partner ended on

This activity can easily be modified to include students’ instruments, more

complex material, or incorporate other musical tasks as well. This game could also be

played by the whole class, going around a circle instead of trading back and forth.

Working in pairs on this activity allows each student more opportunity to refine through

practice and forces them to hold each other responsible for mistakes.

Learn Symbols that Represent Sounds

Once your class has developed some proficiency with the previous two stages,

they are ready to start learning the symbols used to represent pitch. You could start as

simply as asking your class to recall the solfege syllables and writing them on the board.

To bridge the gap between solfege syllables and pitch notation, work with your class to

spell out a few major scales, writing the letter names below the syllables. At this point

you could ask your class what they already know about pitch symbols. If necessary, ask

questions to get them thinking about how the staff, clefs, accidentals, and key

signatures help to convey information about pitch. Once you have the staff and a clef on

the board, work with your class to notate the scales you have already spelled out.

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Learn to Transform Symbols into Sounds

It won’t take long for your students to pick up on the symbols used for pitch, and

many will already be familiar with them. As soon as you introduce the symbols, begin to

practice turning them back into sound; a basic preliminary exercise you could use is

pointing to notes in the scales you have already notated while your class sings the

pitches, start to erase the solfege syllables beneath the scales until your students are

reading noting but notation.

To build up to sight singing exercises, you could have students write a staff on a

sheet of paper and write a few stepwise pitches. You could break your class up into two

teams and have them line up to create melodies that the other team can then sing. You

could develop this exercise by changing what note “Do” is, having them adjust their

accidentals to fit within the new key, and then reading the new melodies. You could

follow this activity up with questions that highlight the different information conveyed

through actual pitch notation and scale degree syllables (Does “Do” sound the same in

all keys? Does “C” sound the same in all keys? If I asked all of you to play “Do Re Mi” at

the same time on your instruments, would it be in unison? What if I asked all of you to

play “C D E?” Etc.)

By this point, you could begin to bring in examples from real music to practice

with. Just like with rhythm, you could isolate pitch in these exercises first, either by

treating each pitch as fermata or by making each pitch the same duration. Ask

questions about each example before performing to model good methods for sight

reading practice (What clef are we in? What is the key signature? What pitch is “Do?”

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How do you know? Do you see any spots that look complicated? How can we figure out

how to to perform this challenging part? Etc.). After identifying the clef and tonic, Gary

Karpinski recommends locating the positions of each scale degree on the staff in that

key to help students situate themselves in the tonal context of the example (162). You

could have students write the solfege syllables below the notation or ask them to

verbally indicate the syllables for the example; at this point, they are ready to begin

singing through the pitches. After an initial reading, ask questions to have them evaluate

their performance and go back over any spots that need improvement. Eventually, your

students will need to practice performing pitch with the correct rhythm; to lead to this,

you could start by having them speak the solfege in time. When they can speak the

solfege in time, and they can sing the solfege out of time, they should be ready to slowly

put the two together.

Sight reading involves coordinating multiple skills; it can help to have a process

to work through challenging passages. After modeling through some of the activities

above, begin to ask questions to lead your class towards a general process they can

use. This process is not set in stone, each and every student will have a slightly

different process that works for them. Your class might end up with something like this:

1. Make note of the time signature and key signature

2. Figure out what the key and mode is

3. Figure out the solfege and takadimi syllables

4. Isolate any trouble spots and rehearse

5. Put pitch and rhythm back together

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Step four tends to be where the most instructor help is needed after the

fundamentals (steps 1-3) are addressed. There are a lot of ways to identify and fix

trouble spots; this is one of the areas where creativity comes into play. Certain awkward

leaps mights be solved by first filling in the leap with stepwise or arpeggiated motion.

Certain complex syncopations might be simplified by adding downbeats. Leaps to “Fi”

might be solved by trying to hear “Sol” first. Very basic reductive analysis can help make

certain melodies singable.

Learn to Transform Sounds into Symbols

In order to notate pitch, students must be able to identify what they are hearing

and know which symbols are needed to convey that pitch. You could use activities that

isolate the identification before incorporating the actual notation. An activity you could

use to practice identifying pitch is very similar to echoing games; instead of singing with

solfege, use a neutral syllable and have your class respond with the proper solfege to

prove they know what they are hearing.

Another activity you could use to focus on the identification of pitch without the

actual notation is very similar to the partner improvisation game. For instance, to include

practice identifying pitches, you might use the following guidelines:

1. You will improvise 3-5 pitches at a time on “Loo”

2. Your improvisation may only use stepwise motion and notes from the major scale

3. Before improvising, you must sing back what your partner improvised in solfege

4. Your improvisation must begin on the same pitch your partner ended on

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This game might play out like this:

Student 1 : Loo Loo Loo Loo Loo

Student 2 : Do Re Mi Fa Sol… Loo Loo Loo Loo Loo

Student 1 : Sol La Sol Fa Mi… Loo Loo Loo Loo

Student 2 : Mi Re Do Re… Loo Loo Loo…

Once your students can successfully identify pitches, they can begin to notate

what they are hearing. An activity you could use to introduce the process of notation

begins from the identifying games above; after your class has identified the solfege you

have performed, you could ask them to write the pitch names in multiple keys. Once

they can competently translate solfege into pitch names, you could ask them to write the

pitches on a staff using multiple clefs.

Melodic dictation requires identifying the rhythms, in addition to the pitches, and

combining the two in one set of symbols. This is a complicated task, and will only be

more difficult if your students are struggling with any of the preceding activites. Do not

rush into this final stage until your students are prepared for it, they should already be

able to transcribe rhythms, aurally identify solfege, turn those solfege syllables into pitch

names, and place pitches on a staff accurately.

With so many preparatory stages involved in melodic dictation, it can be useful

for your students to have a strategy that addresses each. Gary Karpinski breaks the

melodic dictation process into four stages (64):

1. Hearing

2. Short-term melodic memory

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3. Musical understanding

4. Notation

Each of these stages can be divided further; for instance, within short-term

melodic memory, Karpinski suggests using techniques such as extractive listening (71)

and chunking (73) to extend memory capacity. Ask your class questions to help lead

them to a general process they can use for all dictations; this process does not need to

be identical to Karpinski’s, but it should contain the same basic elements. Through

questioning, your class might arrive at a process that looks something like this:

1. Sing excerpt from memory

2. Transcribe what you are confident in

3. Use process of elimination and educated guesses to figure out rest

4. Hum through to check for errors

Whenever you practice transcription with your class, ask your students about

their process; over time, they will be able to refine and find a strategy that works for

them. In addition to developing a process, ask questions to make sure your students

understand why each stage is important. (What does being able to sing the excerpt from

memory prove? What does it allow you to do? Etc.) Steps three and four tend to require

the most help from the teacher. For example, step three might involve isolating pitches

on downbeats only, looking for imitative patterns, or hearing where a chromatic pitch

resolves.

When actually doing dictation in class, you could have them work in groups or as

individuals to notate the melody on the board, paper, or some notation software. Once

55

they are familiar with the notation process, additional practice can easily be done

outside of class as homework. You could record yourself playing melodies on your

instrument, or use pre-existing recordings of real music for them to transcribe. Another

alternative could be to incorporate software or applications that provide examples for

practice and give immediate feedback.

Harmonic dictation should be approached in the same manner; make sure your

class has already worked harmonic material through the earlier stages of the language

process before asking them to transcribe them. Although the general process for

harmonic dictation is the same as the one used for melodic dictation, some of the

details may vary. For instance, it is impossible for one student to sing back an entire

harmonic example; instead, they might start with just the bass line. Instead of using

extractive listening to isolate down beat pitches, students could use extractive listening

to identify chord qualities.

One strategy your students could use in the process of elimination during

harmonic dictation relies on using the bass line to determine what harmonies are

possible. To introduce this strategy, you could play a harmonic example and ask your

students to only take down the bass line. Go through each bass pitch and ask what

chord it would be if the bass note was the root, the third, or the fifth. For example, if the

bass note was “Re,” the chord could be a ii, viio6, or V6/4. You could go through this

process with your class on the board for each pitch of the major scale and you might

end up with something that looks like Table 12.

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Table 12: Possible Triads above a Given Bass Pitch

Fifth IV6/4 V6/4 vi6/4 vii o6/4 I6/4 ii6/4 iii6/4

Third vi6 vii o6 I6 ii6 iii6 IV6 V6

Root I ii iii IV V vi vii o

Bass Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti

Conclusion

You will need to use some kind of organized system of pitch and rhythm syllables

to be able to effectively teach ear training. Whichever systems you or your school

decide upon, make sure you practice using them before class so you can be an

accurate model for your students. As in the activities described above, always move

from sound to symbol and from simple to complex. Have students imitate you first,

without looking at notation and then have them begin to improvise with those same

sounds. Have them associate the sounds with the symbols and then practice turning

symbol into sound (reading), and, finally, turning sound into symbol (transcribing).

Include several successive activities in each class that build from simple to more

complex devices and applications. Whatever activities you choose to use, incorporate

new content using those games throughout the course of a semester.

This is just the beginning of your teaching journey; as you build up experience in

the classroom, you will discover which activities work for you and your students and

which do not. You will discover new ways to help direct your students towards their

goals and maintain their interest. Keep in mind the natural learning process as you plan

your class and always introduce new musical material in the order of the language

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learning process. Encourage your students to work through the process as they refine

their skills and help them sort out how to use their new skills in other facets of their life

as a musician. You will have good and bad days in the classroom; as long as you

continue to keep the why, how and what you are teaching in mind throughout your

teaching journey, you will find that the good days become better and more frequent.

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CHAPTER 5: Discussion

Ear training is one of the most crucial elements of musical development; the

GTAs who teach ear training have an enormous responsibility, and, like all new

teachers, need guidance to be able to better teach their students. Investments in the

success of the GTAs through preparation and training will lead to great returns for

Schools of Music in the form of better ear training classes for undergraduate students

which will, in turn, lead to better musicians. The handbook provided in chapter 4 is

intended to help prepare GTAs to teach ear training classes; what follows is a few

suggestions about how schools could use the handbook to help prepare their new

GTAs.

How to Use This Thesis

Preparation for any task, especially teaching, takes considerable time; as soon

as new GTAs are selected, schools should begin to invest in them. The handbook could

be emailed to new GTAs along with their contract offers in the spring so they have the

summer to read through it and start thinking about why, how, and what they will teach.

Since most schools provide the syllabi for ear training classes, these could also be sent

to new GTAs long before school begins so they have . Theory departments could create

a brief document that identifies any specific methods or systems used (We use

moveable do with do based minor. We use Takadimi. We use Noteflight for homework.

Our school uses Blackboard. Etc.) that could also be sent so that new GTAs have time

to adapt if their undergraduate school used different systems.

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Reading is most effective when it is followed up with discussion. Theory

departments could have a meeting in person, or through video conferencing, with GTAs

before school begins to talk about the ideas presented in the handbook. Such a meeting

could also include opportunities for mock teaching so GTAs can try out new techniques

and activities before they are put in front of a class.

In addition to training prior to the start of school, GTAs should have regular

opportunities to receive feedback once they are actually in the classroom. Observations

by faculty members followed up with discussion can be a great way for GTAs to improve

their teaching. Regular observations by multiple faculty members would be the most

ideal scenario, but even one or two observations a semester can be useful. In addition

to faculty feedback, GTAs can get feedback from their own students and other GTAs.

An anonymous survey could be sent to ear training students a few weeks into the

course so GTAs can adjust and refine their teaching. If a school has multiple GTAs

teaching ear training, they should be encouraged to observe one another and discuss

their challenges and successes with each other.

Conclusion

The purpose of this thesis is to provide the necessary information and materials

for new GTAs teaching ear training to succeed in their teaching endeavors. First, books,

journals, and web-based resources were presented that can be used to help prepare

new GTAs; while there are many useful resources, none of them address the unique

needs of GTAs. In order to find out what GTAs would need to succeed, a survey was

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sent out to gather information about the selection, responsibilities, and training of GTAs

who will teach ear training. The survey revealed several alarming trends; the two most

notable are that very rarely do GTAs have to demonstrate they can teach to get their

position, and that many GTAs receive absolutely no training for their teaching positions.

The pre-existing resources and survey informed the creation of a handbook that

provides philosophical and pedagogical information about teaching, as well as many

activities and tools that can be used specifically to teach ear training. My hope is that

this thesis can bring awareness to the crucial role GTAs teaching ear training play in

Schools of Music and help them succeed as teachers.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Alvira, Jose R. “Teoría.” Teoria : Music Theory Web , 1997, teoria.com/. Bain, Ken. What the Best College Teachers Do. Harvard University Press, 2003. Brower, Andrew. “Tenure Is Not Dying.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 19 June

2018, www.chronicle.com/blogs/letters/tenure-is-not-dying/. Conway, Colleen Marie., and Thomas M. Hodgman. Teaching Music in Higher

Education. Oxford University Press, 2009. Criss, Ellen. “The Natural Learning Process.” Music Educators Journal, vol. 95, no. 2,

2008, pp. 42-46. “Curwen Chromatic Hand Signs.” Teachers Pay Teachers, Dancing Crayon Designs,

www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kodaly-Curwen-Chromatic-Hand-Signs-Clip-Art-Sol-fa-1306663

Cutler, Timothy, and Patricia Gray. “Tonal Theory Supplemental Examples.” Internet

Music Theory Database, 2005, www.musictheoryexamples.com/. Filene, Peter G. The Joy of Teaching: a Practical Guide for New College Instructors.

University of North Carolina Press, 2005. Good, T., and Brophy, J. Looking in Classrooms. 9th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon,

2003. “Graduate Teaching Assistants.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor

Statistics, 30 Mar. 2018, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes251191.htm. Hoffman, Richard, et al. “Takadimi: A Beat-Oriented System of Rhythm Pedagogy.”

Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, vol. 10, 1996, pp. 7–30. June, Audrey Williams. “Grad Students Take the Podium in More Undergraduate

Courses.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 15 May 2011, www.chronicle.com/article/Grad-Students-Take-the-Podium/127542.

Karpinski, Gary S. Aural Skills Acquisition: the Development of Listening, Reading, and

Performing Skills in College-Level Musicians. Oxford University Press, 2000. Lumsden, Rachel, and Jeffrey Swinkin. Norton Guide to Teaching Music Theory. W. W.

Norton & Company, 2018. Maltz, Maxwell. Psycho-Cybernetic Principles: a New Way to Get More Living out of

Life. Wilshire Book Co., 1960.

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Marvin, Elizabeth W. “The Core Curricula in Music Theory - Developments and Pedagogical Trends.” Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, vol. 26, 2012, pp. 255–264.

Mckeachie, Wilbert James., and Marilla Svinicki. Mckeachie Teaching Tips: Strategies,

Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers. 13th ed., Cengage Learning, 2011.

Musictheory.net, 2000, www.musictheory.net/. Newport, Melanie. “Teaching Tips for Graduate Students.” ChronicleVitae, 26 Sept.

2016, chroniclevitae.com/news/1558-teaching-tips-for-graduate-students. Palkki, Joshua. “Rhythm Syllable Pedagogy: A Historical Journey to Takadimi Via the

Kodaly Method.” Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, vol. 24, 2010, pp. 101–129. Pinker, Steven. The Language Instinct. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1994. Rogers, Michael R. Teaching Approaches in Music Theory: an Overview of Pedagogical

Philosophies. 2nd ed., Southern Illinois University Press, 2004. Suzuki, Shinichi. Nurtured by Love: the Classic Approach to Talent Education 2nd Ed.

Translated by Waltraud Suzuki, Warner Bros. Publications Inc., 1983. White, John David, and William E. Lake. Guidelines for College Teaching of Music

Theory. 2nd ed., Scarecrow Press, 2002.

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APPENDICES

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APPENDIX A: Survey Recruitment Email

Greetings colleagues: I wonder if you could spare a few minutes to help participate in a survey about the responsibilities, preparation, and selection of Graduate Teaching Assistants in the music theory discipline.

The purpose of this research study is to gather information about graduate teaching assistantships in the music theory discipline. The results of this survey will help inform the writing of a Master's Thesis project in Music Theory Pedagogy. By completing the survey, you are giving your permission to use the information in the Master’s Thesis Project and in any subsequent publication or presentation on the topic. No names will be used in the publication of the results. (All answers will be anonymous.) Individual responses will be kept confidential and only aggregate data reported. Please have only one person from each institution complete this survey. If you are not the appropriate person on your campus to respond to questions about the responsibilities, preparation, and selection of Graduate Teaching Assistants in Music Theory, please forward the URL to that person. This electronic Qualtrics survey will take approximately 5 - 10 minutes to complete. It can also be filled out on smartphones and tablets. The link to the survey is Theory/Comp GTA Survey Thank you very much for your help. Best wishes, David Marvel Graduate Teaching Assistant in Music Theory The University of Tennessee School of Music

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APPENDIX B: Survey Results

Q1 - INFORMED CONSENT STATEMENT The purpose of this research study is to gather information about the responsibilities, preparation, and selection of Graduate Teaching Assistants in the music theory discipline. The results of this survey will help inform the writing of a Master’s Thesis project in Music Theory Pedagogy. INFORMATION ABOUT PARTICIPANTS' INVOLVEMENT IN THE STUDY As a participant, you will complete this survey by answering questions about graduate teaching assistant positions at your institution. By completing the survey, you are giving your permission to use the information in the Masters' Thesis project and any subsequent publication or presentation on this topic. No names will be used in the publication of the results. Individual responses will be kept confidential and only aggregate data reported. Please have only one person from each institution complete this survey. If you are not the appropriate person on your campus to respond to questions about the responsibilities, preparation, and selection of Graduate Teaching Assistants in music theory, please forward the URL to that person. This electronic Qualtrics survey will take approximately 5 - 10 minutes to complete. RISKS There are no foreseeable risks to participants filling out this survey other than those encountered in everyday life. BENEFITS Music theory teachers, graduate students, and those applying to graduate school will benefit from being more informed about what is expected of new graduate teaching assistants. The results will aid in the development of a resource aimed at helping the graduate students finding themselves teaching for the first time. CONFIDENTIALITY The information in the study records will be kept confidential. No names will be used in the publication of the results; only aggregate data will be reported. Data will be stored securely and will be made available only to the person conducting the research unless participants specifically give permission in writing to do otherwise. No reference will be made in oral or written reports which could link specific participants or their institutions to the study. All responses will be anonymous.PARTICIPATION Your participation in the study is voluntary; you may decline to participate without penalty. If you decide to participate, you may withdraw from the study at anytime without penalty and without loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONSENTI have read the above information. I have received (or had the

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opportunity to print) acopy of this form.Clicking on the button to continue and completing the surveyconstitutes my consent to participate.

# Answer % Count

1 I agree to participate 97.56% 160

2 I do not agree to participate 2.44% 4

Total 100% 164

Q2 - How many graduate students does your school have in Theory/Comp?

# Answer % Count

1 1-2 17.95% 14

2 3-4 16.67% 13

3 5-6 14.10% 11

4 7+ 51.28% 40

Total 100% 78

Q3 - How many GTAs does your school have in Theory/Comp?

# Answer % Count

1 1-2 19.74% 15

2 3-4 23.68% 18

3 5-6 14.47% 11

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4 7+ 42.11% 32

Total 100% 76

Q4 - Are all of your Theory/Comp GTAs majoring in Theory/Comp?

# Answer % Count

1 Yes 48.05% 37

2 No 51.95% 40

Total 100% 77

Q21 - What % time do your Theory/Comp GTAs work?

# Answer % Count

1 25% 28.57% 22

2 33% 14.29% 11

3 50% 24.68% 19

4 Other 32.47% 25

Total 100% 77

Q21_4_TEXT - Other

Other - Text

12 hours per week

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10 hours per week

Two 1.5h classes per week plus preparation and grading -- 25% at most

10% very light duties, if I understand the question.

I don't understand this question. Work as a GA? Work outside of school? Percentage of their total time? Percentage of an expected full load?

We don't measure in these terms

8-12 hours/week

25% or 50%

It varies according to their individual duties.

37.5%

13 hours per week

None

12 hours per week

Most are either 25% or 50%, but I think there's a single 33% in the mix, too.

Hard to translate into % time. The contract indicates the commitment is for 20 hours per week, with 8 contact hours weekly in most cases.

10 hours per week

DMAs about 20%, MFAs 5%

40%

Percent of what?

One 50%, others 25%. We are being forced to consolidate two 25% lines into a single 50% for AY 18-19, with more to follow.

70

20

We have approx. 10 at 25%, approx. 10 at 50%, and one at 33%.

10-20 hours per week.

Q6 - What kind of financial assistance do your Theory/Comp GTAs receive?

# Answer % Count

1 Tuition Waiver 77.92% 60

2 Fee Waiver 20.78% 16

3 Stipend 87.01% 67

4 Other 23.38% 18

Total 100% 77

Q6_4_TEXT - Other

Other - Text

Partial tuition waiver

health insurance

Not all are paid equally, though.

Work study

This is no different from any other fellowship offer. We offer five years' full support (with possible extension), and require teaching in all but two of the years.

Health insurance

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healthcare

In the past, a stipend was sometimes available, but is not a yearly party of the budget.

Tuition Scholarship

Health Insurance

In-state fees plus stipend

DMAs Tuition Waiver and Stipend MFAs salary

student health insurance

A mix of tuition waiver (all), non-teaching fellowships, research assistantships, teaching assistants

Also a health insurance subsidy. Select GTAs also receive "stipend enhancement" funding (fully renewable throughout period of GTA support).

Hourly compensation.

Tuition plus stipend

Q7 - How are your Theory/Comp GTAs selected?

# Answer % Count

1 Resume 58.44% 45

2 Letters of Reccomendation 50.65% 39

3 Interview 71.43% 55

4 Teaching Demo (Video) 2.60% 2

5 Teaching Demo (In Person) 6.49% 5

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6 Other 29.87% 23

Total 100% 77

Q8 - How many classes are your Theory/Comp GTAs expected to teach per semester?

# Answer % Count

1 0 17.81% 13

2 1 43.84% 32

3 2 28.77% 21

4 3 6.85% 5

5 4+ 2.74% 2

Total 100% 73

Q9 - How much instructor responsibility is given to your Theory/Comp GTAs?

# Answer % Count

1 100% Teaching/Instructor of Record 22.97% 17

2 Grading only 9.46% 7

3 Leading Discussion/Recitation Section 28.38% 21

4 Other 39.19% 29

Total 100% 74

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Q9_4_TEXT - Other

Other - Text

Some work in a tutoring center 10 hours/week. Others have 100% responsibility for a class as Instructor of Record. Others work for faculty.

Grading part writing and some teaching for experience

Both grading and section leading. Associates are the lecturers/instructors of record.

depends on level and course, can be any of those

In aural skills classes they are instructor of record. In theory classes they lead discussion sections, but these meet twice a week.

Most of the obligation is tutoring students from theory and aural skills classes, with some exam proctoring or managing some other kind of in-class activity when the professor is away.

Grading / class assistance / tutoring / proctoring make-up exams / leading review sessions and extra tutorials

All three of the above are possible, depending on the course.

instructor of record, but we provide many materials to help them prepare.

The theory/comp GAs grade and lead discussion/recitation sections. Other GAs chosen after completing a graduate Music Theory Pedagogy class will do 100% teaching of a Fundamentals class or Freshman Aural Skills class.

Grading, providing extra individual help.

Most often, a mixture of the first two choices, though some are 100% teaching and 1-2 are grading only.

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For some reason you are trying to force me into only one choice when there is a mix (and this includes questions where there was no "other" button, so be aware that your data is bound to be misleading). Most of our graduate assistants teach. For technical reasons, the aural skills teachers are described as leading recitation sections, but in fact they are teaching (and these classes are not just labs associated with someone else's large class). There are also graduate assistants who run our electronic music studio, and sometimes they help with our new music festival. Grading is extremely rare.

Depends on the class and the situation. Sometimes a teacher is the instructor of record, other times the student is only grading the work of a Professor in the department.

One GTA leads an optional, extra-credit ear-training session for students

It varies according to the needs of the department, skills and experience of individual TA’s, and the TA’s interest in taking on full instructor of record responsibilities (if performance focused TA presenting their lecture recital or the like, they may opt to stick only to grading)

Our Theory/Comp GTA's do grading as well as substituting for our professors theory and musicianship classes, as well as tutor undergraduate students in theory and musicianship.

Depends on the TA and the specific assignment. Aural skills instructors teach lab sections attached to a lecture section taught by a faculty member. They work under an aural skills coordinator, but are responsible for preparation and the aural skills part of the grade. Instructors for the fundamentals course are the instructor of record, as is one advanced TA per year who teaches in the core curriculum. The previous question is unanswerable as asked: 1) aural skills instructors teach PART of a course, not a whole course; 2) different TA assignments teach different numbers of courses, or sections. Rewrite the question to allow more room for individual response.

They teach three sections a week and grade assignments. Within clear and specific guidelines, they are responsible for structuring those class meetings.

Grading and music engraving

DMAs 100% MFAs grading/some teaching

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This varies. Some teach just the lab sections of written courses. Some are the sole instructor of aural-skills sections. Some serve as instructor of record for non-major music theory courses.

Varies from TA to TA. Some get 100% responsibility; some teach lab sections of a larger course.

Teach one course 100% as instructor of record. In addition, grading, attendance, etc for another course.

Varies

Most are 100% Instructor of Record. 1st-year master's students can't be classified as such but serve in the same capacity. Previous answer: 0.50-time GTAs will teach 2 classes (2 theory or 1 theory/1 aural skills); 0.25-time GTAs will teach 1 theory class _or_ 2 aural skills classes.

Grading, assisting in classes (but not teaching), assisting outside of class (during their office hours). Because of the faculty union contract, only faculty can teach classes.

Theory TAs are the instructor of record for Aural Training, which meets two days a week. They run Theory sections two days a week and do all grading. There is a large theory lecture taught by the professor that meets one day a week.

Q10 - Which classes do your Theory/Comp GTAs teach?

# Answer % Count

1 Ear Training 70.42% 50

2 Music Theory Fundamentals 66.20% 47

3 Music Theory Core Curriculum 63.38% 45

4 Music Technology 22.54% 16

5 Composition Class/Lessons 22.54% 16

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6 Other 23.94% 17

Total 100% 71

Q10_6_TEXT - Other

Other - Text

GTAs grade part writing, assist in class by playing excerpts at the piano and teach some classes solo and portions of classes for experience

An aural skills "lab" session attached to Fundamentals.

We have one large freshman theory class. The Theory/Comp GTAs teach a breakout session one day per week and grade.

Arranging and Orchestration classes

Sometimes an advanced doctoral student teaches counterpoint. There is also a course for non-majors that is mostly fundamentals but also involves song writing.

Redesign the survey to allow free response that provides more information, not necessarily "other" than the options listed. Most of our TAs teach aural skills or fundamentals. In years that we have a suitable person available, one advanced TA teaches a lecture section in the core curriculum. We have also had TAs teach music technology, but the course was recently designed and is now taught by a faculty member.

No teaching

varies greatly

Keyboard harmony

Teach ear training but also grade for theory fundamentals.

Class piano, sometimes jazz intro, sometimes western art music intro

Tonal counterpoint. Also a non-majors class entitled "The Art of Songwriting."

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They do not teach classes

Usually assist in musicianship classes (integrated theory, aural skills, and keyboard harmony), but can assist in any class.

Class piano

Q11 - Do your Theory/Comp GTAs have responsibilities other than teaching?

# Answer % Count

2 Yes 69.74% 53

3 No 30.26% 23

Total 100% 76

Q12 - What responsibilities other than teaching do your Theory/Comp GTAs have?

What responsibilities other than teaching do your Theory/Comp GTAs have?

See earlier response -- some GTAs work in a tutoring center 10 hours/week; others are instructor of record for music fundamentals; some assist faculty. Each GTA has only one assignment.

Grading part writing homework

They run the student composers' concerts and also assist with the New Music concert series.

Moving equipment, putting up posters, some database work, photocopying, and so on.

Proctoring exams / tutoring / leading review sessions

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monitoring recital attendance

some help with grading

seminar work, language requirements, etc.

Grading; assisting faculty; assisting music librarian

A regular faculty member teaches one large freshman theory class on T/H. The two comp GAs attend class at least once each week, lead a breakout session on F, and grade papers for approximately 35 students.

Grading, lecture attendance, and staff meetings.

Grading for another theory professor

Theory tutortial lab.

A few GTAs per semester, in addition to teaching duties, do one of the following: - serve as Theory/Comp area research assistant - help put on an annual New Music Festival - course assisting via grading (many do this, which I would not consider "teaching" per se)

Grading, office hours for students, leading study sessions before exams

Proctor theory entrance exams for incoming freshmen.

Sight-singing evaluations In-coming freshman evaluations (grading their tests)

Most of them only teach, but some might help with the electronic music studio or the festival of new music. We have one assistantship for composers only that involves observing orchestral rehearsals (i.e., there isn't any typical work at all).

Enrichment labs, some composition GTAs organize concerts and events for the composition department.

Grading other courses

Working in the music student resource center

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May be syllabi writing, may be administrative, it varies according to the needs of the department

We organize the composition recital each semester, as well as help organize our university's new music festival. This also includes various oddjobs as they come up.

Maintain their class standing and perform at a level satisfactory to their instructors

Grading papers taken in lecture classes; assist teacher-of-record with class setup

Work with the new music ensemble. For the next question on this survey, you need to provide a free response box: none of the options fit what we do in all cases, which includes providing previous syllabi, which the TA may revise, but in consultation with a faculty member and only with the faculty member's approval. Same for the next question, about tests/quizzes. Provide a free response box, or better options.

grading, tutoring

Grading, attending lecture

They are responsible for communicating with the students, with each other, and with the instructor of record. This constitutes a significant portion of their responsibilities, and it includes a good deal of reading.

Grading and score engraving. Occasional research.

Grading for their theory/ear training classes; theory is one part of a GTA assistantship. Most have other responsibilities, such as teaching applied lessons in their specialty, coaching chamber ensembles, collaborative piano, etc. depending on their area in addition to the theory and ear training work.

Grading, recording keeping, scoring freshmen theory entrance exams

Copying music within different notation software programs

Tutoring, individually and in small groups

80

Some are also tutors in our Music Theory Learning Center. They observe lectures and staff the MTLC on a drop-in basis. Some are research assistants. They work as assigned by faculty members.

We also have a tutor and sometime research assistant. (The latter not technically a TA).

Grading

Grading and taking attendance.

grading; research assistance

1 or 2 GTAs are selected to assist with our electronic music studio, electronic ensemble, and electronic composition classes (not as instructors). 1 GTA is selected as assistant to the director of our music living-learning center (who is on the theory faculty). 1 GTA in composition is selected for a one-year opportunity to attend all orchestral rehearsals/performances, to assist the director of orchestras in various ways, and to compose an orchestral work (which receives a performance the next year).

Supervise our tutoring lab, grade as needed, provide research support

Outside of class office hours and some secretarial-type duties. Please note that given our use of graduate assistants, the following questions are unanswerable (or at least the answers will not be valid in your survey). Perhaps a "N/A" option would have been good to include. Also, we refer to the position as GA (graduate assistants) rather GTA. I am answering the following questions, but, again, they have no meaning in our situation.

They are also taking classes and conducting research while teaching.

Depends. Some may have some administrative responsibilities, or technology responsibilities, for example.

Tutoring, grading, assisting with instructor projects

Grading assts

Student committee

81

Q13 - Do your Theory/Comp GTAs write their own syllabi for their courses?

# Answer % Count

1 Yes, from scratch 6.15% 4

2 We provide a template they may alter 27.69% 18

3 We provide a syllabus they may not alter 66.15% 43

Total 100% 65

Q14 - Do your Theory/Comp GTAs write their quizzes/tests for their courses?

# Answer % Count

1 Yes, from scratch 18.46% 12

2 We provide quizzes/tests they may alter 26.15% 17

3 We provide quizzes/tests they may not alter 55.38% 36

Total 100% 65

Q15 - Are your GTAs observed while teaching?

# Answer % Count

1 Never 10.94% 7

2 Once or twice a year 18.75% 12

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3 Once or twice a semester 57.81% 37

4 Several times a semester 6.25% 4

5 Weekly 6.25% 4

Total 100% 64

Q16 - Are your Theory/Comp GTAs required to take any pedagogy courses?

# Answer % Count

1 Yes 50.00% 36

2 No 50.00% 36

Total 100% 72

Q17 - Which pedagogy courses are your Theory/Comp GTAs required to take?

# Answer % Count

1 Aural Skills Pedagogy 14.71% 5

2 Written Theory Pedagogy 20.59% 7

3 General Music Theory Pedagogy 70.59% 24

4 General Music Pedagogy 11.76% 4

5 Other 17.65% 6

Total 100% 34

83

Q17_5_TEXT - Other

Other - Text

It's not really an official pedagogy course; it's more like a mentoring setup with the lead music TA.

The Music Theory Pedagogy course includes work on written skills, aural skills, and musical form.

hard to describe

General teaching pedagogy

A theory pedagogy course which includes written and general music theory pedagogy and aural skills pedagogy.

2 semesters, covering both written theory ped and aural skills ped.

Q18 - What kind of preparation does your institution offer to Theory/Comp GTAs before school starts?

# Answer % Count

1 No training 23.53% 16

2 Training less than two hours 20.59% 14

3 One day training 22.06% 15

4 Multiple day training 7.35% 5

5 Online training 0.00% 0

6 Other 26.47% 18

Total 100% 68

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Q18_6_TEXT - Other

Other - Text

Faculty mentor

The graduate school has a teaching center that offers workshops, and there is a program in the department. It;s not necessarily preparatory, and none of it is "training"--we don't do that to humans.

There is a university-wide training session that is half-day. The GTAs that run the breakout session meet once a week to discuss the sessions and grading. The GTAs that teach Fundamentals or Aural Skills must take a music theory pedagogy class first. This refers to the previous question--the GTAs that teach Fundamentals are provided with previous syllibi and have access to numerous resource files, but ultimately, they make the final choices for the course. GTAs that teach Aural Skills are provided an area syllabus that they can tweak. Tests, though, are provided for them for consistency. The GTA is given the same materials and instructions as an adjunct instructor.

1:1 with myself and the instructor. Also, I will use them in the summer band camp as an assistant.

A Grad Student Orientation week in which you meet with your GTA supervisor to discuss duties so essentially just one meeting.

There are various sessions. The university has some sessions geared toward all TAs, and the College of Music has some geared toward all music TAs, and for specific courses the TAs have sessions with the specific course supervisor(s). Some sessions last a couple of hours, and I think one colleague has two half-day workshops. I'm not positive about the details.

Students only grade during the first year, giving them the opportunity to learn some skills from the other instructors before stepping in front of a class in the second year.

85

Generally the training is done throughout the year and varies according to the needs of each TA. If the TA has never taken a pedagogy course, they may receive training on it before leading classes entirely on their own. If they have solid teaching experience prior to their appointment or in other departments, they may not require training beyond what they already have received at other institutions or departments etc...

GTAs spend their first year, at full stipend, taking pedagogy courses along with their normal class schedule. They teach in their second and third years, with increased stipends.

Meet with teacher-of-record to establish numbers in each section, class locations, set expectations for use of textbooks, grading/attendance policies

Not exactly "training": it's guidance and preparation, which can take the form of several meetings for aural skills, and a series of exchanges and consultations with a faculty member for fundamentals and core classes.

We do a full three days of orientation. We also ask the TAs to read through course materials, practice singing, and practice the piano. It adds up to a lot of advance preparation and requires a daily commitment of time over the course of many weeks.

Initial orientation then Simultaneous training

Multiple day training as part of a campus-wide "TA Orientation." There is no music-theory based orientation.

One day (or one partial day) of training specific to the class they will be teaching; one or two days of general training for all GTAs.

Instructions/training given by the individual faculty member the student is assisting.

They take multi-day training provided to all incoming GTAs through our teaching center. We used to do a full day of theory specific training after that, but the schedule no longer allows it. We are now moving toward an online course that may help them transition into their new role.

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Q23 - Do you have any additional relevant thoughts about the responsibilities, preparation, and selection of GTAs in Theory/Comp at your school?

Do you have any additional relevant thoughts about the responsibilities, preparation, and selection of GTAs in Theory/Comp at your school?

1st-year assistantships are entry-level (working in the tutoring center or for a professor). 2nd-year assistantships are awarded to those who've taken pedagogy and have at least 18 credits

As part of the interview for selection, GTAs demonstrate piano skills and analyzing music at sight. They also take a music theory examination in part writing, required of all graduate entering students.

Several of the questions, such as those about syllabi and quizzes, require more complicated answers than the questionnaire permits. It was possible (almost) to say that we have graders, assistants, and instructors among our students; degrees of autonomy vary accordingly. Not all of our fellowship employment involves teaching. We do not recruit teaching assistants in any sense separate from the graduate admissions process.

Our DMA program is one of "Performance, Conducting, Literature, and Pedagogy." All DMA students are required to take a pedagogy class for music in higher education and then choose between History/Appreciation and Music Theory for a second course. Masters students may take a pedagogy class as an elective. The program has proven successful in placing students in teaching positions that require a second emphasis (e.g., conducting and music theory).

My university does not think that teaching music theory three days a week counts as a full load (13 hours per week). Between 3 hours in class, 2 office hours, prep time for each class, and grading papers, I find this to be full time by my university's standards.

It was difficult to answer some of the questions with the mutually exclusive choices. For example, we interview prospective TAs rather thoroughly, a process that includes a skills assessment (dictation, sight-singing, and keyboard reading) and written theory assessment (analysis, figured bass realization, et al.).

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You misspelled "recommendation" early on; it was "reccommendation." We have weekly meetings where faculty distribute the weekly material (lesson plans, quizzes, homework assignments, tests, grading keys, etc.).

Pedagogy is not required, but most do elect to take theory pedagogy.

I have observed that many theory teaching fellows are dedicated to learning how to teach and work for the students' benefit exclusively. Unfortunately, I have also observed that there are theory teaching fellows who are more enamored with their own egos than they are with being quality teachers. It is very disheartening when students tell you how cruel and condescending some theory teaching fellows are to their students. It is also sad when students of other teaching fellows come to your office hours and ask for help (which I am glad to give!) because their own instructors make fun of them or dismiss them with "you need to work harder." In my opinion, there should be more training, seminars, workshops, etc. to address the importance of how to teach rather than simply expect those who have never taught to be able to do so effectively and without arrogance.

We assess a lot of relevant skills before we even admit graduate students in Theory and Composition: sight singing, piano playing from a score, keyboard harmony, ear training, basic analysis, etc.

We also employ a number of grad students as graders, and others as Fellows (instructors) in the Preparatory School.

I was a Theory GTA at two different times and locations: 2011-2015 at the University of Arizona and 1975-1979 at Indiana University. Both handled GTAs the same way (but we had a GTA office at UA).

Regarding the survey and GTAs at our school: Theory and Comp are separate here; I'm in Theory and I've guessed at what comp does. Our GTAs are used differently in different courses. In my course, the GTA is only a grader, does not teach, and is not observed. Also he/she is rarely a theory major. If they expressed an interest in leading class during the term I wouldn't object, but we both seem happier if they only grade. Regarding % FTE, there's a number used by the university that determines their pay. Our expectation is 8 hours a week. I would put the hours actually spent on the position at closer to 6.

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Speaking in general—not about my institution per se—the kind of preparation, support, and oversight that TAs receive will depend on the department's course offerings, as well as its structure, level of funding, and faculty engagement. Do TAs teach discussion or lab sections attached to courses taught by faculty, or are they instructors of record? Do all faculty members observe and mentor TAs, or do just one or two people do that? Is that mentoring taken into consideration as part of the faculty member's workload, or is it something faculty essentially volunteer to do because they believe it is important?

Very casual, with TAs chosen based on resume and word of mouth. But limited to 25%, so none of them teach their own course.

Yes, but not that would fit in a box many times the size of this one. In one way or another, I spend most of my time working with the graduate students. Over the years, it has become my main means of training graduate students, as teachers, researchers, and above all musicians. In terms of educating future researchers and college/university faculty, I think what goes on in and around the undergraduate classroom is more formative and has a deeper, longer-lasting impact than all the courses/seminars these students take.

We have multiple sections of each course taught by GAs that need to stay synchronized so that all students are getting an equal theory and ear training experience and can be successful in future classes. To that end, we meet weekly to go through the curriculum, discuss the most useful pedagogical approaches, and make sure that all students are understanding material and that all teachers know the best practices for each topic.

As a conservatory, we are different from Universities and Colleges. Also, we have a high-profile DMA program that attracts excellent students who we work with to have them teach what is congruent with their individual strengths.

Our approach is currently in a state of flux, with some duties being transferred to an online course. The GAs will continue to provide tutoring.

There are 11 GAs in music theory. 7 are Master's students in Music Theory, chosen on the basis of admission to that degree program. 3 are either Master's or Doctoral students in Composition, chosen by the composition faculty with no input by the theory faculty. 1 is a Doctoral student in tuba performance, chosen by the tuba professor; that person's role is split 50/50 into low brass and music theory teaching.

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Supposed to be about a 10 hour commitment, but took me about 20 hours a week. There was no training or support for TAs. As a result, I did not get much out of my seminars and was unable to participate in the academic life of the department.

The TAs who teach labs for core Theory courses are well-known to have to work the hardest of any TAs in the Music Department, but they also do very well in competing for jobs after graduation.

I was selected to teach ear training at the school where I did my masters degree because they needed another person. My assistantship was really for trumpet and that is what the majority of that assistantship focused on. I got my theory assistantship for the school where I did my DMA because of my previous experience teaching ear training.

At my institution Theory and Composition are in different areas. There are eight TAs in music theory; seven are music theory PhD/MA students, and one is a composition student with a 1/4 appointment in music theory and 1/4 appointment in composition. That is the only TA for composition.

Our GTAs only work in the tutoring lab so several of these questions did not apply.

See written addition to question on the previous screen.

Our GTAs are overworked. While they do their best and often teach very well, the situation they are put in is not ideal. I have been trying for seven years to change the balance of responsibilities while still allowing them some creative autonomy in the classroom, but it is very difficult to change these things in a larger institution.

Q12 - Topics

Answer % Count

Unknown 100.00% 47

Total 100% 47

90

Q21_4_TEXT - Topics

Answer % Count

Unknown 100.00% 23

Total 100% 23

Q6_4_TEXT - Topics

Answer % Count

Unknown 100.00% 17

Total 100% 17

Q9_4_TEXT - Topics

Answer % Count

Unknown 100.00% 28

Total 100% 28

Q10_6_TEXT - Topics

Answer % Count

Unknown 100.00% 15

91

Total 100% 15

Q17_5_TEXT - Topics

Answer % Count

Unknown 100.00% 6

Total 100% 6

Q18_6_TEXT - Topics

Answer % Count

Unknown 100.00% 17

Total 100% 17

Q23 - Topics

Answer % Count

Unknown 100.00% 27

Total 100% 27

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VITA

David Marvel was born and raised in Harrington, a small town in southern

Delaware. He is the son of Beth and Richard Marvel. David attended school at

Woodbridge Elementary, Middle, and High School. After graduating as Valedictorian of

his high school class, David studied trumpet performance at Appalachian State

University in Boone, North Carolina. During his time at Appalachian, David participated

in domestic and international tours with Appalchian’s Wind Ensemble, Symphony

Orchestra, and Jazz Ensemble, and he performed with the Symphony as a

Concerto-Aria Competition winner. He graduated from Appalachian summa cum laude

with his Bachelors of trumpet performance degree in December 2014. David stayed at

Appalachian to study trumpet performance at the Masters level. As a graduate assistant

at Appalachian, David supervised the Learning, Research, and Technology Lab, taught

trumpet lessons and trumpet choir, worked for the graduate coordinator, served on

Appalachian’s Graduate Student Council, taught his first ear training class, and received

Appalachian’s Outstanding Graduate Teaching award. David graduated summa cum

laude with a Masters of Music degree in trumpet performance and was inducted into the

Cratis D. Williams Graduate Honor Society in May 2016. David then attended the

University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he was a graduate teaching assistantship in

music theory. As a GTA, he served as an instructor for ear training classes as well as

the Fundamentals of Music Theory course. During his time at the University of

Tennessee, David performed with the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz

Ensemble, and did outreach performances at local schools with the Volunteer Brass

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Quintet. David graduated summa cum laude with a Masters of Music degree in Music

Theory in August 2018.